


The Last Place You'd Look

by Different_frequency



Series: What We Seek [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Angst, Baby Yoda being Adorable, Baby Yoda needs a teacher, Canon-Type Violence, Cara Appreciation All Day Long, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Force Healing, Force user OFC, Jedi, Keldabe Kiss, Kidnapping, Life in the Covert, ManDadlorian, Mandalorian Culture, Mando'a, Mental shielding, Non-Consensual Drug Use, POV Multiple, Psychological Torture, Self-Acceptance, Slow Burn, The Force, Touch-Starved, aka space magic, culture clash, the slowest burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:53:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 72,863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22406746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Different_frequency/pseuds/Different_frequency
Summary: Mandalorians and Force-Users have been in conflict for centuries. But when the Child's budding abilities lead Din to search for a teacher for him, he finds that the relationship is more complicated than he could have imagined.“Why would I need training? I’m not Force-sensitive” Din said.“No,” Tali replied, her voice patient, “but that makes your mind even more vulnerable than his. Can you imagine if someone was able to get into your mind, and implant suggestions? Doubts? Fears? Or even go further and control your mind to force you to take the child somewhere and turn him over?”Ice formed in the pit of his stomach at the thought.“I would never do that.”She shook her head sadly at him.“You wouldn’t even know you were doing it, murishani.”
Relationships: Din Djarin/Original Female Character, The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV)/Original Female Character(s)
Series: What We Seek [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1714399
Comments: 163
Kudos: 404





	1. Vercopa - (n) Dreams

Din Djarin woke suddenly. Breathing heavily, he looked around, and after a moment slid out of his tangled blankets. As soon as his feet hit the deck he was moving, performing checks as he went; the hatch, _closed and locked_ , his weapons locker, _secured_ , and the carbonite freezing unit, _quiet and dark_. 

As he arrived at the cradle Kuill had built for the child, his steps quieted. He coded in the sequence to open the top and released a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding when he saw the large green ears and small form snuggled within the blankets. 

Satisfied that all was well with his tiny charge, he returned to the small room that served as main quarters on the _Razor Crest_. Sitting down on the narrow cot, he tried to gather his thoughts. His dreams had been strange the past few weeks, a jumbled mix of images and sudden flashes of emotion, nothing like the usual gunfire and mechanical monsters that had plagued him since childhood. If he was honest, given his lack of rest since the new dreams had started he almost wished for a return to his usual nightmares. But these new dreams been growing in intensity, ever since they'd left Nevarro behind. 

His thoughts were interrupted by a whimper from the direction of the foundling’s cradle. That in itself was not unusual, but the flash of uncertainty that came with it was. A moment later, the _ad’ika_ let out a terrified cry and he felt fear flood his system. Fighting against the overwhelming tide of emotion that threatened to paralyze him, he forced himself to his feet and back to the pod.

The child lay curled in the middle of his blankets now, tears squeezing from under closed eyelids, and his claws clenched around his krill toy, clearly in the clutches of a nightmare. He shuddered slightly and Din reached down to stroke along his head and ears, murmuring as he did. 

_“Udesii, ad’ika. K’uur, k’uur.”_

The trembling slowed and the child’s breathing slowed with the reassurance of his guardian’s touch and voice. 

_“Nuhoy, ad’ika._ ” Din rumbled, pitching his voice low and calm despite his still-racing heart. 

As the foundling relaxed back into peaceful sleep, his guardian rested a gentle hand on his head and sighed. It seemed he knew where the strange dreams were coming from. The more difficult question was where to turn for help. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

A few cycles later, Din had no better ideas than he’d had in the middle of the night and had reached a point of desperation stemming largely from a lack of anything resembling good sleep. He sat in the cockpit of the _Crest_ , his helmet off and his boots up on the console. He scrubbed his hands over his face, the bags under his eyes prominent enough to feel. 

Letting out a breath, he admitted defeat; he needed advice. He’d give his Amban rifle for a chance to speak more with the Armorer about the Jedi and the powers the kid displayed, but as he hadn't received any coordinates detailing a new location for any survivors of the Tribe, that wasn’t an option. Kuill might have known something, and even if not, he would have offered helpful advice, but that avenue was now closed to him as well. 

There was a tightness in his chest at the thought of the Ugnaught. The hasty stone cairn he had constructed on their way off Nevarro was a poor tribute to the old metal worker, who had given his hard-earned freedom to protect the child. Another being whose life had been lost due to his actions, his mistakes. Coupled with the still recent pain of the attack on the Covert, Din couldn't help but feel that everything he touched turned to ash. 

He was pulled back to the present by garbled noises from the lower level; the kid was waking from his nap. Din guessed he had probably about five minutes until he would start to fuss without his caretaker within view. 

Going through his list of other potential sources of advice, he was left with only one whom he could trust both to keep the situation quiet as well as provide sound guidance. Of course, he was basically guaranteed to never hear the end of it, but that was pretty much unavoidable. 

Swinging his feet down from the console and reaching for his helmet with one hand, he pulled up the holocom with his other hand. A few moments later, Cara’s face popped up on the hologram, her narrowed eyes scrutinizing his helmeted face.

_“You look like shit, Mando.”_

He huffed a breath, too tired to properly laugh. 

“Yeah…about that. Things have gotten a little more complicated.”

As he explained the newest talent displayed by the kid, and its alarmingly quick impact on his ability to maintain anything close to normal functionality, Cara raised her eyebrows.

“I’m operating so damn slowly at this point, we’d be easy pickings for a hunter with even half a braincell. And I don’t even know where to start looking for someone who may know something.” He felt drained, his body heavy with exhaustion and his mind feeling wrung out like a limp dish-rag with the emotional high and lows of the past few weeks. 

Cara, to her credit, kept more of thoughtful expression on her face than an amused one. 

_“So, he’s sharing his dreams with you? Or his, moods? It sounds like the kid isn’t actively controlling it. I don't know anyone personally who could help. But…”_ she hesitated, a crease appearing between her eyes as she thought. 

“Spit it out, I'm about ready to try anything,” Din said. 

_“Alright. So when I was active, one of my squaddies was from a more colorful background than most of us and he’d picked up some jobs at this place on Takodana. Run by this old pirate, Maz Kanata. The place was supposedly safe ground for just about anyone besides Imps, as long as you didn’t get in a fight there. And I remember him saying that the place was especially known for being friendly to Force-sensitives. I don’t know if the owner was Force-sensitive too, but maybe it’s someplace to start.”_

“Huh. You think the place is still there?” he asked. 

Cara’s image laughed. _“From what my squaddie said, the place had been there for centuries, and the proprietor was basically indestructible. It’s probably worth a shot if you don’t have anything better.”_

“Definitely don’t have anything better. Thanks.” Din said distractedly, already pulling up the planet on the ship’s nav system. 

_“Good luck, Mando. Give the kid a hug for me.”_ The hologram flickered and went dark. 

Din’s examination of the planetary readout for Takodana was interrupted by a squeal from the lower level, his five minutes were officially up. He quickly coded in the coordinates for the planet on the nav system and set the ship to autopilot before standing. The stars blurred as they made the jump to hyperspace, white streaks reflecting off the beskar helmet as he made his way out of the cockpit and down the ladder to tend to his charge. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

It was dark by the time the _Razor Crest_ burst through light cloud cover, flying over snow-covered mountains, thick green woodlands, and dark lakes. Searches on the Holonet had brought up results for Takodana Castle, coupled with a smattering of mentions of a pirate stronghold. 

Landing the ship in a clearing fairly close to the coordinates listed for the castle, he strapped the long rifle across his back, settled the kid into his pod with its electronic tether, and set out. As he exited the treeline, he couldn’t help but stop for a moment, taken by the sight in front of him. 

A massive stone castle sat on the edge of a lake, ringed on three sides by thick woods. A statue of a woman with her arms held to the sky stood high above the main door, illuminated by electrolight. At her feet, a stone carving proclaimed, _All are welcome. (No fighting)._

As he walked up the stone path to the castle, his attention was drawn from the statue to the hundreds of colored banners and flags that hung around the main courtyard, swaying in the evening breeze and filtering light through their layers. A jolt of surprise went through him when he spotted one with the outline of a black mythosaur on a green field to the right of the massive doors. 

Unsure of whether the sight of the familiar sigil provoked more suspicion or reassurance, he continued up the broad grey stone stairs to the heavy wooden doors, one of them open. The door opened onto a large cantina and music and voices spilled out onto the steps. 

“I hope that you have read the rule,” said a stern voice somewhere near his knees. 

Looking down, he saw a small female humanoid with ochre skin and a pair of large brown eyes, further magnified by large lenses attached at the sides of her head. She looked at him suspiciously, but he saw a spark of laughter in her eye that belied the stern tone. 

“I don’t intend to start any fights.” 

“Good. Then you can come in. I have been expecting you.” She turned, beckoning him to follow her. 

Din's brain took a minute to process what she had said as he strode to catch up with her. “Wait, you’ve been expecting me?” 

“Yes,” she said, giving him an enigmatic smile as she looked back over her shoulder, “I felt you coming, with the child." 

His thoughts had immediately jumped to tracking fobs and visions of ex-Imperial troopers hiding in the shadows, and she must've seen the tension in him. "No one here will come after you. You're both safe here tonight."

She led him up a long flight of stone steps and past several windows that looked out over the now dark castle parapets. They stopped halfway along a corridor outside a heavy wooden door, which Maz unlocked with a thick metal key. Once inside, she handed him the key and motioned for him to sit down at the small table. She settled herself on another chair (surprisingly gracefully, given her small stature) and her eyes focused on him. He felt as if he was not wearing his helmet at all under the scrutiny of those old eyes. 

“Tell me about the child.” Maz said, her voice quiet but curious. 

He explained as little as he felt he could get away with; how the child had stopped the Mudhorn cold, the way he constantly manages to get past locked doors, his ability to levitate his toys. He told her about the dreams and flashes of emotions that are not his. And he told her what the Armorer had told him, how the _jetii_ were traditionally enemies of the Mando’ade, and how he must either deliver the child to his own people or raise him as his own. 

When he finished, Maz leaned back in her chair and let out a long breath, turning her head slightly to gaze away from them as if lost in thought. 

“So, it seems that the Force is moving into balance again.” Maz murmured to herself, “I thought I felt it these last few years, but there has been darkness for so long that it was difficult to feel that it had not won.” 

“Moving into balance?” Din asked, confused. 

“The Force is not just the ability to levitate items or project emotions or heal. It is the same energy that flows through our universe and through all living beings. Only a few can manipulate its power, and even fewer have the level of abilities that your child has. The Force strives always to maintain balance, between the light and the dark. It is the eternal struggle between compassion, kindness, and mercy, and hatred, pain, and fear.” As she spoke, she held her hands out palm-up like balances on a scale. 

“I….I don’t know how to help him. I know he must need some kind of training or help, but I can’t…” He said, his voice trailing off as he fought to keep the frustration from it. 

“There is a young Jedi named Luke Skywalker who is rebuilding the Order of Jedi, and is searching for Force-sensitive children to train. If you want, I am sure that Luke would take the child. He is not the same species as this child, but he is a Jedi.” she replied, her eyes calm behind the lenses of her glasses.

At that, Din felt like his heart was being squeezed. _Let an enemy take him? Not even his own kind, but an enemy sorcerer?_

“Is there anyone else? Anyone could train him without…taking him from me? Could you train him?” He could hear the pleading in his voice, as much as he hated it. 

Maz studied him for a long moment, her deep brown eyes searching for something through the unyielding beskar of his helmet. 

“You cannot remain here for more than one night, given the bounty on your head, so I can’t train the child. But there is someone I know who is Force-sensitive, but not a Jedi. She knows mind shielding well, and uses the Force to heal, like your child does. If she agrees, she could travel with you and train him.”

Din let out the breath he had been holding and felt his shoulders relax minutely. “Where is she?”  
  


“She's here, on Takodana. She’s out in the mountains, but I can get a message to her and ask her to return.” 

“I would be grateful if you would.” Din said, inclining his head in respect. 

Maz slid off the chair and crouched down in front of the child, running a long orange finger along one of the child’s long ears and smiling at him. 

“So long as you honor my rule, you can stay the night here. If Talise agrees to return, she should be back by tomorrow afternoon. I’ll send up some dinner for you both.” 

Standing, she left the room, closing the door behind her. Din looked down at the child, who stared up at him with those large black eyes. 

“Well, what do you think? You ready to stop the oversharing routine?” 

The child turned to the door and then back, babbled in return before he waddled across the floor towards him, his arms lifting in the familiar gesture.

Din picked him and felt the kid stabilize himself by hooking two claws in the top of the beskar chestplate as he stood on Din’s forearm. Tilting his head down, Din met the steady, dark brown gaze of the kid’s eyes; the kid at least seemed comfortable with the strange old pirate.

  
“Yeah, I suppose we’re going to have to trust Maz. She seems to genuinely want to help us.” 

Leaning back in the chair to relax slightly, he stroked a finger over the kid’s small head. 

“It’s about time something went our way.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a:  
>  _Ad'ika_ \- child  
>  _Udesii_ \- calm, relax  
>  _K'uur_ \- quiet, hush  
>  _Nuhoy_ \- sleep
> 
> Credit to user @CoffeeQuill for the idea of Maz being able to help Din with his force-sensitive kiddo. Go check out her work, she's a champ.


	2. Ba'slanar - (v) to depart, to leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Mandalorian meets his foundling's new Force teacher. It doesn't exactly go well.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

The next morning Din was woken by a light knock on his door and the sound of footsteps moving away from the door and down the hall. In between his arm and his side, the child slept curled in a warm ball.

 _How late did I sleep?_ he wondered, his mind foggy. From the sun’s position it was far from early. Sitting up slowly to avoid disturbing the still-sleeping ball of bed linens, the bounty hunter swung his feet over the edge of the bed to the cool stone floor. He vaguely noted that he felt more rested than he had in weeks; the lack of aches and cramped muscles that normally accompanied a night of sleep on his ship was a pleasant surprise. 

He stood and stretched, feeling his joints pop. Turning to the table where he had wiped down and laid out his armor the night before, he began suiting up, placing his helmet on last after smoothing his bed head down. As he did, he heard a small coo from the bed and turned to see the foundling’s sleepy eyes and perked up green ears poking out from the blankets. 

“ _Jate vaar’tuur_ , _vaar’ika_ ,” he said, grinning under the helmet. As usual, the child held his little hands out to be picked up and promptly attempted to climb higher up on the Mandalorian’s shoulder when he was appeased.

Over the next several hours, Din ate some of the breakfast that had been left on a tray outside his room, cleaned his rifle, and continued his recent practice of trying to teach the kid some words in Mando’a. The kid, however, was more interested in trying to catch a bug on the floor than learning and eventually Din gave up. 

As the sun neared the midline of the sky, another knock at the door interrupted them and Maz spoke. 

"Mandalorian? Talise is back." 

Din stood, scooping the kid up into his arms as he did. 

"Alright _ad'ika,_ here we go." 

Looking down at the child, he ran his hand over the messy white hairs on the small head for a few moments before he realized he was subconsciously trying to neaten the kid up. He pulled his hand back with one final pat, shaking his head. The tiny claws of the child's hands curled in a fold of his sleeve and large dark eyes blinked up at him as if to reassure his guardian. 

Opening the door, he followed Maz along the corridor and down the stone stairs. He found himself inadvertently tensing up as they descended, a feeling of unease building in his stomach. _Maz said we could trust her. She's not a jetii. She is not an enemy_ , he told himself, forcing his muscles to relax. 

Maz led him across the main floor of the bar, significantly quieter than it had been the previous evening although still hosting an unusual mix of patrons, and out the large wooden door of the castle. The wind was stronger this morning, and the banners' flapped audibly above them. 

Turning her head, Maz called over her shoulder, "Tali’s been at the mountain village the past few days, helping fix some equipment. She’s handy, but that girl takes any excuse to be outside in weather like this." 

Chuckling to herself, she continued, "Truthfully, even if the Jedi still trained padawans they would likely have found her too wild for their practices. She is not one to settle and isolate herself from the world." 

Although she shared this with an amused air, Din did not see how his _ad'ika's_ future Force teacher being ‘too wild’ was a positive. ‘Wild’ was too close to ‘trouble’ in his book. Maz interrupted his musings with a satisfied sigh. 

"There she is." 

Ahead of them, a slight figure stepped out of the treeline. She wore a dark blue knitted shirt with simple roughspun trousers and sturdy-looking boots, and had a small bag over her shoulder. As she approached them and her features became clearer, crows’ feet at the corners of her upturned eyes showed her age to be closer to her thirties than her teens. A woven blue band held back waves of pale blonde hair, which slid across her shoulder as she lifted an arm to wave at Maz. The petite ochre humanoid beckoned her over, and the woman jogged up the stone steps to stand before them. 

"Maz, you still takin’ in strays?" the woman joked, the crows feet by her eyes deepening as she smiled. Her voice was moderately pitched and pleasant, with the hint of a laugh in her words. 

“I’m not the one taking on the stray this time, girl.” Maz said, her tone one of an indulgent aunt to a favored niece. The woman tilted her head, her pale eyebrows furrowing slightly as she tried to divine the older woman’s meaning. 

Saying nothing, Maz turned back inside and motioned them to accompany her. As he moved into the shade of the door Din could feel Talise’s eyes on him; the feeling was a familiar one, particularly since donning the newly forged _beskar’gam_. He kept his helmet forward, ignoring the gaze, but shifted the kid slightly to keep him out of her view for the moment. The womp rat on the other hand did not take kindly to being sheltered from this new being and whined as he was moved to the other side of the Mandalorian’s body. Din shushed him quietly and followed Maz down a set of stairs into the basement of the castle. She led them into a small room with a stone fireplace and a threadbare rug on the floor, and closed the door behind them. 

Maz turned to them both, standing in front of the cold fire place. Her eyes looked from one to the other before speaking. 

“Mandalorian, this is Talise Osira. Tali, this is the Mandalorian.” She gestured with one long-fingered hand for Din to reveal the baby. “And this is his child.” 

The kid, intent now on reaching his new interest, squirmed to be put down. Moving to one knee, Din carefully placed him on the rug, where he immediately toddled towards Talise. Her blue-grey eyes widened in surprise and her lips parted slightly as she stared. 

“What is he?” she wondered aloud, letting her bag slip off her shoulder before kneeling down on the rug in front of the child. 

Looking up at her with round, dark eyes, he tilted his head slightly and cooed in curiosity, stretching out a three-clawed hand towards her. Reaching out her own hand, Tali let him grip her index finger, curling it slightly in his claws when he grasped it. 

She closed her eyes and the child suddenly squeaked, his eyes growing even wider and focusing on her. 

“What’s she doing?” the Mandalorian said harshly, taking a step towards the pair before Maz put a hand out to stop him, speaking softly. 

“She’s projecting to him. Communicating with him by images, through telepathy. It’s a common way to communicate with children sensitive to the Force before they can speak. It’s also how he has been sharing his dreams and emotions with you.” She squinted through her thick lenses at the foundling, who was now staring at Tali with clear excitement. 

Talise opened her eyes to meet the gaze of the enraptured child and smiled warmly as she rubbed her thumb across his claws, still curled around her forefinger. 

“He’s projecting back. Showing me how you found him.” 

She continued to watch the child’s face as he projected images to her. The desert complex where he had been hidden in the dark while loud noises and screams came from beyond the walls. Hearing two voices outside his cradle, and the dim light that filtered through the smoke when his cradle was opened. How the two figures had suddenly been only one, and their journey across the desert. He showed her the Mudhorn and his fear when he realized his new guardian would be injured by it. And he showed her the man wrapping him in an old cloak and giving him the metal ball to play with. 

But then his images became more blurry, emotions coloring them as he conveyed the fear and loss of realizing his caretaker was leaving him behind. Seeing the armored man walk away from him with a white box, and the man with glasses looking at him with greed in his eyes before a pinch of pain in his arm and then darkness. 

Tali sucked in a breath and looked sharply at the Mandalorian. 

“You turned him in?” she snapped, her eyes accusatory. 

“He was a job,” the bounty hunter retorted, already reaching out to pull the child away from her, “I went back for him.”

The child squawked as he was picked up, irritated to have been interrupted mid-story. Talise stood, hands on her hips as she glared into the middle of the T-visor. 

“I can’t believe you turned in a _child_. To Imps.” she said, derision obvious in every syllable. 

As much as he wanted to contradict her, Din felt hot shame prickle along his skin under his armour. The fact that he’d gone back to get the kid didn’t negate the fact that he had first left him at the mercy of the Client and Dr. Pershing for a camtono of beskar. 

Maz stepped between them before he could respond, hands held out placatingly. Looking sternly at Talise, she frowned.

“Regardless of how you feel about what he did before, the Mandalorian returned for the child. And he has sacrificed to protect him since then.” 

While Tali’s glare did not subside, some of the tension went out of her shoulders. 

“The child needs someone to help him learn to control his ability, and the Mandalorian does not want to leave him with Luke. You have similar talents to the child, and you could use the opportunity to work on your patience...” Maz finished wryly. 

Tali flushed slightly at this, the pink in her cheeks overshadowing the freckles along her nose. 

“I don’t know Maz, I don’t know if I’m really the best person to be teaching anyone…” she said, her voice uncertain. 

“I can think of no one better suited to help a little one learn to control his abilities. You know from experience how important stability is for young Force-users”. Maz’s voice was kind, but held a note of sadness in it. 

At this Tali looked sharply at her, but a moment later sighed and dropped her hands in surrender. 

“Fine. Fine fine fine. I’ll do it. But there’s no way I’m qualified for this.” Looking back at the bounty hunter, she continued, “Though it doesn’t seem like I’m the only unqualified one here.” 

Din stiffened at this, but remained silent. _You’re doing this for the ad’ika. You’re not doing this for you,_ he told himself, _just ignore it_. 

Taking advantage of the temporary truce, Maz clapped her wrinkled hands together. 

“So it’s agreed! Now lunch. And then you will be on your way. It does not do to linger in a place with so many eyes,” she said with an air of finality while striding to the door, “Mandalorian, come with me. I will have food sent up to the room you stayed in last night for you to eat with your child in privacy. Tali, you probably want to pack your things.” 

With a last scowl at Talise (returned in equal measure) Din moved to follow her, the child cooing happily in his arms. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Tali climbed the stairs to her room, lost in thought. 

_Why would the Imperials want a child like that? Just because of the Force-sensitivity? And what made the Mandalorian go back for him?_ _What did Maz mean when she said that he’s sacrificed to protect him?_

It was obvious that the man cared for the kid, given his careful handling of him and his instinctive movements to draw him closer to his body for protection. But what made this quarry different from any other? Bounty hunters, and Mandalorian hunters in particular, were not known for being merciful or for entertaining second thoughts. 

_Maybe it was just the fact that he was an innocent. I can’t imagine walking away from those eyes, knowing I was leaving him with Imps._

Turning the knob on her door, she walked in and closed it behind her, leaning back against the heavy, cool wood and closing her eyes.

 _Well, he’s gonna be your problem now,_ she thought to herself. _Teaching the kid, that’ll be easy. Teaching the hunter…that will be the challenge_. 

As she opened her eyes and took in the small room with its large window and the tiny twin bed in the corner, blinking to refocus herself. _Right. Packing_. She strode to the small closet and pulled out a brown bag, the color faded with age and use. 

Her clothing relied far more on functionality and durability than fashion. She paused for a moment with her hand on her thick winter coat, unsure of where they would be traveling or whether she would need it. With a shrug she stuffed it in the bag anyway. _Better safe than freezing_.

She pulled out her guitar in its cracked case. She weighed it for a moment in her hands, debating whether she should bring it. She started to put it down, but hesitated before moving it to the bed with her bag. She had only a few reminders of her past life, she could not bear to leave it behind. 

_There’s bound to be room somewhere on his ship for it, and the child might like the music._

Looking at the nearly empty room, she couldn’t help but compare herself now to the Talise of nine years before; newly arrived on Takodana and exhausted from hitching ride after ride through the galaxy. Still coming down off the high of meeting a fellow Force-user in Maz, and finding safe haven. This place had been kind to her, in a time when the world had showed her precious little kindness. It seemed fitting that she had come here seeking protection then, and was now leaving to provide protection to another Force-user in need. 

She ran a hand through her hair, pulling out the blue band that kept it out of her face on hikes, and grimaced as she felt the knots and snarls in it. _Best to take advantage of the hot water supply while I’m still here_ , she thought as she started to strip, _I shouldn’t expect a bounty hunter to have anything approaching amenities on his ship._

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

His helmet set close by him on the wooden table, Din spooned up hot stew and watched the child slurp broth next to him. The kid had an enthusiasm for food that he vaguely remembered from his own childhood, attacking nearly whatever was put in front of him with zeal. 

At this point, The Mandalorian was well-adjusted to meals consisting of chalky bread rations or tasteless ration bars, usually a few weeks from their expiration date, but he had recently started trying to bring more nutritious (or at least flavorful) foods onboard for the _ad’ika_. It wasn’t like he had the first clue what the kid should be eating (other than live amphibians, apparently) but he figured anything was better than the rations he forced down whenever the growling of his stomach became too much to ignore. 

He tried not to think of the woman who would soon be taking up far too much of his privacy and precious living space. She was infuriating, and seemed to have none of the usual fear displayed by those who were unused to seeing a fully armoured Mandalorian loom over them. _Wild_ , Maz had said. _Yeah, no kidding. Wild and impulsive. Suffering gods_ , he thought to himself, shaking his head. 

Finishing his own meal, he gently righted the cup before the kid could succeed in sticking his entire head in and spilling the broth everywhere, and replaced his helmet. As he felt the metal settle around his face, he breathed a sigh of relief. The helmet could at times feel confining, but given Talise’s uncanny ability to push his buttons within a few minutes of meeting him he appreciated the obscurity it gave him. 

Once the child was done Din carefully placed the foundling in his cradle, strapped his rifle to his back, and left the room. As he passed the large rectangular window in the hallway, he felt a momentary regret to be leaving this planet so quickly. It was rare that he spent any length of time on a planet with so much green; more often than not the criminal underworld chose to spend its time in used up wastelands or deserts rather than lush forested lands. 

He stopped at the bar to tell Maz that he would be back at the _Razor Crest_ , preparing it for its newest crew member and for their departure. She put up a finger to pause him and stuck two fingers in her mouth to whistle loudly, causing the bangles on her wrist to clink together. A moment later, an older Gran came through the door from the kitchen carrying a large crate, which he dropped at the Mandalorian’s feet. 

“Rations for your trip.” Maz said, without looking up. 

“Thank you. For everything.” Din replied, unsure of what else to say. 

Maz looked up at him through those eerily magnified eyes, and he suddenly felt like a Foundling under the sharp eye of the Tribe’s _alor_. 

“Her loyalty cannot be bought and her heart is forgiving and kind. You can trust her. I wish luck to you all.” She said the last with a crinkle at the corners of her eyes and a knowing smile on her lined face. 

Din nodded, picked up the crate, and left Takodana castle. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Surprisingly, when Tali arrived at the _Razor Crest_ twenty minutes later she did not wrinkle her nose or make any of the usual comments he received regarding its age or worn look. She walked up the ramp and approached him with a neutral expression. 

“Is there someplace I can put my stuff?” 

He gestured to the area he’d just finished rigging up, a second cot made up from one of the horizontal ammo lockers with a blanket hung as a makeshift curtain. An existing shelf built into the wall above the cot served as a place for her clothing or other items. 

“Thanks,” she nodded politely and moved to the area to unpack her things. She had changed into a long-sleeved rust-colored tunic over leggings with worn brown boots. 

Din watched her from the corner of his peripheral, not any more sure about this new clean and polite Talise than he was of the confrontational one he’d met an hour ago with leaves in her hair and a smudge of dirt on her cheek. 

As she rose up on the toes of her boots to place her clothes on the shelf over the bed he was struck again by just how small she was; it was no wonder he had taken her for a girl when she first stepped out of the woods. Now that her hair hung unbound down her back, he could see streaks of white in its waves. She had a length of brown leather cord wrapped around her left wrist, but wore no other jewelry. 

Meager unpacking complete, she spoke over her shoulder as she smoothed a grey and yellow scarf over the worn blanket on the cot. The guitar in its old case was stashed in a small space between the bulkhead and the end of the bed. 

“What should I call you? And the kid?” 

“Call me whatever you want. Kid doesn’t have a name yet.” 

At this, she straightened and turned. 

“Do Mandalorians have names?” Her tone was more curious than mocking. 

“We do.” 

“You’re just not going to tell me what it is.” 

“You can call me Mando, if that works.” 

“Seriously? Isn’t that a slur?” She asked, folding her arms in front of her.

Din shrugged slightly, and continue straightening up the now full shelves of food and rations in the galley. 

“Alright, well that’s not going to work for me. Until you give me something better, _murishani_ will have to do for you. The kid can be Kou, for _koumur-nyee_.” 

“Bounty hunter and Little Green?” 

“I think in this context _murishani_ is closer to ‘pain in my ass’ but yeah.”

 _This is going to go great,_ he thought to himself, sighing internally. 

“Whatever works for you,” he repeated, attempting to keep the annoyance in his voice to the bare minimum and failing. Peeking over at her from behind the visor he swore he saw a grin on her face, as though she was enjoying her own private joke. 

He moved to the ladder to the cockpit and paused with his gloved fingers curled on the rungs at head-level. 

“You need anything else?” He asked brusquely.

Tali looked around her small space and back at him, shaking her head. 

“Nope. Ready to roll.” 

Nodding, Din climbed the ladder and took two steps to the pilot’s chair. Sinking into the worn leather he began the normal start-up sequence of switches and watched the control panel lights flicker to life. As the engines cycled up, a distinct rattling sound came from the starboard engine and he twisted to look at it through the viewscreen. Nothing looked amiss, but that was not a normal sound. 

_Guess we’ll add mechanic to our list of stops,_ he thought dejectedly. While the ship had been spared any damage during the fighting on Nevarro, his time as a Guild outcast had left him with a choice between rations and repairs to the ship, and it showed. 

Putting both hands on the steering yoke, he brought the ship above the tops of the thick treeline of Takodana and through the atmosphere into the dark of space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a:  
> Jate vaar'tuur - good morning  
> Vaar'ika - pip-squeak/runt (affectionate)  
> Tali’s names for the Boys are Huttese. Murishani is Huttese for bounty hunter.  
> Kwomur means green and Nyee means boy, but I’d seen BY referred to as Kou in other stories and it felt better than Kwo so we’re rolling with it.  
> Aiming for a new chapter out every Saturday (since they’re fairly long). This is actually my first ever AO3 fic, please let me know if you like it!
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)


	3. Aru'e - (n) enemy, hostile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din jumps to conclusions, Tali likes old ships, the kid is adorable, and there are some serious missteps.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

Looking up the ladder towards the hatch to the cockpit, Tali wondered how much trouble it would be worth to go up. The kid was napping in his cradle, and she had exhausted her ability to sit quietly on the decking floor, her back against her cot. 

_ Screw it, the worst thing he’ll say is get lost, _ she thought, gripping the ladder rungs and pulling herself up. Poking her head over the top of the hatch, she saw the hunter sitting in the pilot’s chair, his boots planted firmly on the floor. 

“Can I come up?” 

Din turned in his chair and nodded at the co-pilot's seat. “Sit there. Please.” he added at the end, silently reminding himself to be polite. 

She sat gingerly in the chair and looked out the transparasteel window at the stars. For a time there was silence outside of the occasional flick of a switch and the muted rattling sound from the starboard engine. 

“That doesn’t sound right,” Tali said, jerking her chin towards the engine in question when Din looked around. He sighed and turned back to the controls.

“Should see a mechanic soon.”

Tali leaned forward to look at the star charts spread over the console in front of her. 

“It’s been a minute since I saw one of these. Does the ship not have a built-in nav system database?” 

Resigned to the fact that his guest was the talkative type, he spoke without turning his head. 

“It does but it doesn’t have all the star-chart database capabilities. It’s an old ship.” 

“Yeah, it looks like it.”

Din sighed internally, ready for a rude comment about the state of the  _ Crest _ . 

“But that’s not always a bad thing,” Tali continued, “Old ships are reliable. Usually easier to fix than a lot of the new stuff. Plus easier to keep ‘em off the radar of Imps or the Republic.” 

Surprised, the Mandalorian nodded. 

“The  _ Crest _ is off both of their grids. And I can usually find parts for it on the Outer Rim without much trouble.” 

“Engines are what, Incom HA-980As? Those things’ll run forever if you keep them maintained.”

At this Din actually turned to look at her, one hand dropping from the steering yoke as he raised his eyebrows behind the helmet. Tali was still pouring over the star chart, but looked up when she felt his gaze on her.

“What? I like ships. ‘Specially old ones.” she shrugged and looked back down at the star chart, but her cheeks pinked slightly. 

“You spent much time off-planet?” He asked, curious in spite of himself. 

“Not since I got to Takodana,” Tali replied, looking up again and resting her chin on her hand, “but I spent a lot of time around ships when I was younger. ” 

“You’re not from there?” 

“Nope. I was born on Dantooine, which actually looks a lot like ‘Dana. Or at least, it did. Haven’t been back since I was a kid.”

She went back to studying the star charts, and Din found he was relieved that he did not have to suffer through the normal set of questions on his origins or Creed.

“So where are we headed?” Tali asked, picking up one of the star charts and flipping it over. 

“Nar Shaddaa. Got a job lined up there.” 

Tali nodded but said nothing. 

“When will you start training the kid?” He asked, changing the subject. 

Leaning back in the chair, she stretched her arms over her head and hummed. 

“As soon as he wakes up, probably. I’ll start small, working on him understanding that he controls the ability by moving things, working on increasing his stamina as he develops an understanding of when it is and isn’t appropriate to use. And I’ll start helping him visualize building his mental shields. You and I should start working on that soon too.” 

“You and me? What do we need to work on?” Din asked, confused. 

Tali’s blue-grey eyes focused on him. “Well, you need training too, don’t you?” 

“Why would I need training? I’m not Force-sensitive” Din said. 

“No,” Tali replied, her voice patient, “but that makes your mind even more vulnerable than his. Can you imagine if someone was able to get into your mind, and implant suggestions? Doubts? Fears? Or go even further and take control of your mind to force you to take the kid somewhere and turn him over?” 

Ice formed in the pit of his stomach at the thought. 

“I’d never do that.” 

She shook her head sadly at him. “You wouldn’t even know you were doing it,  _ murishani _ .”

He sat back for a moment, stunned. 

“You can do that with the Force? Control somebody’s mind and make them do things?” 

Tali drew one foot up onto the seat to brace her hands on her knee and tilted her head. Her hair fell over her shoulder as she did, the pale blonde and white contrasting sharply with the dark red fabric of her tunic. 

“Well, sure. That’s how a lot of the Sith got what they wanted, by shining a spotlight on people’s fears or anger at others to get them to act when they normally wouldn’t. And the Jedi used it sometimes, to ease a situation, or to persuade someone to do something. The Jedi would probably say that their uses were always justified or ‘for the greater good’, but I don’t believe violating someone’s mind to get what you want can ever really be justified.” 

“So how do you prevent it?” 

“Mental shields are the best way. Once you know what it feels like to have someone trying to get into your mind, you can work on putting up shields to keep them out. Since you’re not Force-sensitive your shields won’t be as strong as mine or the kid’s, but as long as you can make it not worth the effort to break in it’ll usually get the job done. We can start tonight if you’d like.” 

Din nodded silently and turned back to the console. They sat in silence until the sound of something falling came from the lower level. The Mandalorian was up and heading down the ladder before Tali had finished turning her head to look for the source of the noise. 

He paused to point at her, saying “Don’t touch anything,” before climbing down the ladder. A few moments later, his helmet appeared back above the hatch opening. 

“He’s awake, if you want to come back down.” 

Tali stood and stretched her stiff muscles before following him down to the cabin. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Leaning back against the bulkhead with his arms crossed over his chest, Din had to admit that this is likely both the strangest and cutest thing he has ever seen. 

Tali sat cross-legged on the floor across from the kid, surrounded by an odd mix of toys and seemingly random objects; the kid has dragged out every toy (makeshift or otherwise) that he has and brought each one to her to show off. 

He saved the soft blue krill toy from Sorgan for last, as the most treasured, and offered it to her with an ‘aaahh?’ sound, his large ears lifting high. He squealed slightly as the krill rose gently out of his hands to hover just above them, and waggled his ears in delight as she slowly levitated the blue toy to her hand. The kid started to wobble his way to her but she put a small hand to his chest to stop him. 

“Can you move it back to you?” she asked, as she has with all the other gifts he has brought, her voice pitched higher than normal and gentle. She raised the krill back into the air and moved it an inch or two towards the child, who bounced on his toes and clicked his tiny claws together, his arms outstretched towards it.    
  
“I think you can move it, little one. Come on, pull it back to you.” The kid stopped bouncing and reached one hand out, his eyes narrowing slightly in concentration for a moment before the toy moved slowly to his grasp. He let out a delighted shriek and clutched the toy close to his chest. 

“Good job, Kou!” Tali reached out to stroke one of his long ears, rubbing the tip gently between her fingers. The child tilted his head slightly into the caress. 

“Alright, you want to try another?” Tali held up the silver sphere he had brought her (in a previous life, the screw-on top of the shift lever from the cockpit), and levitated it above her palm, her slender fingers bent slightly to form a convex shape. 

As with every time she has used her ability, the child’s eyes went wide in wonder and he reached out a hand, although the precious krill toy remained clutched in his other hand against his chest. It took longer for him to move the ball, his eyes narrowing further and his tiny hand shaking slightly with the effort as the ball moved slowly from her hand to his. Triumphant, he sat down hard with the krill in one hand and the silver ball in the other, grinning widely enough to show his tiny teeth. 

Tali leaned forward to sweep him up and cuddle him against her. 

“That was great, Kou- _ nyee _ ! You’re really something special, kiddo.” The kid snuggled down against her chest and yawned, the toys still held close. She rubbed his back and rocked slightly, whispering “Yeah, I bet you’re tired now. That takes a lot out of you, doesn’t it?” 

She looked up at Din, a soft smile on her face, and he couldn’t help but feel that the kid looked natural in her arms. 

Drawing him close, Tali spoke while lightly scratching the small green head. 

“He’s really powerful. I can’t believe he’s a baby and can move objects so much already. He’s going to be strong when he’s grown.” 

“I mean, he is fifty years old.” Din said, a hint of wry humor in his voice. 

Looking down again, she chuckled as tiny snores emanated from the bundle against her chest.

“Looks like we’re starting mental shields tomorrow. He’s going to be out for a while after that.” She stood, careful not to jostle the child. As she carried him over to the cradle, the silver ball slipped from his grasp and fell. Before it could hit the deck though, it stopped in mid-air and hovered there, turning slowly on the spot. 

Tali placed the child in his blankets and carefully arranged them so he was tucked in securely before closing the cradle. Turning back, she reached out a hand; the ball glided smoothly to her palm and she placed it with the other toys on a small shelf with the kid’s possessions. 

She turned to Din, and raised an eyebrow. 

“You ready to sleep too, or do you want to do some shield work now?” 

He pushed off the wall.

“Sooner we start, sooner I can get them up.” 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

They sat cross-legged on the decking, facing each other while Tali explained what she would do. As she spoke, she braided her hair out of her face, twitching the long plait so it fell down her back when she was finished. 

“I’m gonna start slow. Just kind of prodding at your mind. You should feel it as a slight pressure, then I'll move up from there. My goal here is for you to be able to recognize different ways an attacker may come at you; trying to sneak through your defenses versus just barging in. I gotta warn you though, since you don’t have any shields yet, it...won’t exactly be comfortable.” 

Din nodded and squared his shoulders. 

“Just do it.” 

She looked straight into the T-visor of his helmet and he felt disturbingly laid bare under the intense focus of her blue-grey eyes. A moment later, he felt  _ something _ , like a light touch gliding over his thoughts, reminiscent of the moments when his  _ ad’ika _ projected but somehow more sophisticated and sinister. The feeling intensified, and he felt as though someone were searching his thoughts, as if they were flipping through pages in a book. He jerked his head to the side, gasping as he did and feeling the presence in his mind retreat.

“I did say it wouldn’t be pleasant.” Tali’s said quietly, an apologetic tone in her voice, “But you should know what it feels like when someone’s trying to break into your mind or read your thoughts.” 

He didn’t respond, fighting down feelings of violation. 

She spoke hesitantly. “There’s one more thing I should show you before we start constructing your shields: how it feels for someone to completely take over. There are little hints that come before you lose control that can help you feel it coming.” 

As much as that awful searching feeling made his skin crawl, he forced himself to nod.

“I….I’m not strong enough to do it without skin contact though. Can you take one of your gloves off or push your sleeve up a bit?” She asked, her voice still hesitant. 

After a moment, Din pulled off his right glove and offered his hand to her. As she took it, she couldn't help but take note of the details; his olive skin tone and strong fingers with short, clean nails. His knuckles and the back of his hand were covered with small white scars, but his fingertips were free of calluses.  _ Probably due more to the gloves than lack of hard work _ she thought to herself as she placed her small palm across his larger one. 

“Okay. I’m gonna keep this brief. Try to keep yourself focused on the sensation, I’ll go over the hints after I’m out.” She said, and took a deep breath. 

A moment later a consciousness  _ pushed _ itself into his mind, and everything in him seemed to screech at the  _ wrongness _ of the feeling. This was the searching feeling multiplied by a thousand, someone ripping through thoughts and inserting chaotic images in between them, he couldn’t catch his breath and it  _ hurt _ without having a specific source. He felt his fingers contract involuntarily around Tali’s hand and his spine went ram-rod straight. And through it, he felt paralyzed, unable to focus or think or fight back in his mind or in the physical world. 

The feeling of helplessness threw him back to childhood and he saw memories of gunfire and droids flicker across the invisible presence in his mind.  _ No, that’s private _ , some part of him thought, outraged but unable to stop any of it. 

And then, as quickly as it had come it was gone, and he was left slumped over and panting, his head aching. He ripped his hand from Tali’s, unable to separate the vicious force that had invaded his mind from the slight woman sitting in front of him, an anguished expression on her face. He stood and paced away from her, taking deep breaths to return his heart rate to normal and feeling raw and ragged. 

He heard her speak behind him, pain in her voice. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to see the memories.” 

He said nothing, his back still turned to her. 

“We can stop for tonight, if you want,” she said. 

“No. We keep going.” He responded, his voice grinding through the helmet’s vocoder. Forcing himself to turn he moved back to sit in front of her, everything in his posture bleeding tension. 

“Are you sure? There’s nothing wrong with taking a bre--” she started, but he interrupted her, his tone harsh. 

“Just show me how to build the shields.” From the angle of his helmet she knew his gaze was fixed on her; now she was the one under intense focus. 

Tali nodded and opened her mouth to speak when his voice came again. 

“Stay out of my memories this time.” His tone was cold and clipped. 

“I really didn’t mean to see them. When somebody’s under that kind of stress, sometimes they naturally link it with old trauma, especially from childhood. I swear I didn’t go looking. But it’s important for you to know how this feels.” She said, feeling it was critical that he understand this. 

“Yeah. I’m sure it was for the ‘greater good’. That’s what your Jedi are all about, right? Justifying controlling people with the Force?” 

Tali’s head jerked as if he’d slapped her and she flushed scarlet. 

“I told you I don’t think there’s ever a justified reason to use the Force to control someone. I’m trying to help you understand what you’re up against if someone targets your mind.” 

“Someone like you.” 

“What exactly do you mean by that?” Her guilt at inadvertently seeing his memories was overshadowed by anger at the insinuation. 

“It means that I’m going off your word and Maz Kanata’s promise that you’re not a threat. If I get the slightest idea that you’re trying to target me or the kid, or take him from me, you won’t have to worry about finding a reason to justify anything anymore.” His words had a biting quality to them, and Tali felt fury flare inside her at the warning. She scrambled to her feet. 

“You bastard. You  _ asked _ me here to help you and the kid. Surprising news though it may be to you, I have better things to do than spend my days in a cramped ship with a hostile barbarian!” Her eyes were suddenly overly bright and she took a deep breath, her hands trembling slightly with anger. She turned to leave the room, but could not resist turning back for one final dig. 

“And for your information, I would never take the kid. Unlike some people, I don’t turn children over to monsters for  _ money _ .“ she hissed, before storming off to the lower bay and leaving Din alone, his stomach full of anger and shame. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Much later, Tali lay on her bunk with her hands behind her head, the low vibration of the engines through the bulkhead wall a soothing backdrop to her thoughts. It was hard to believe how much her life had changed in the past day; from her hard-won, peaceful life on Takodana to sharing a small space with a Mandalorian bounty hunter and a Force-sensitive child. 

She thought back on what Maz had said to her before she left the castle, trying to reconcile it with her experiences with the hunter so far. 

_ “Tali.” Maz said, coming out from the bar as Talise carried her bag and guitar case across the stone floor. She put them down and knelt in front of Maz, taking the proffered hands and feeling the usual rush of comfort that came from the old pirate.  _

_ “You’ll be alright with the hunter, he’ll keep you and the child safe.”  _

_ Tali huffed out an amused breath.  _

_ “He doesn’t seem to like me, or any Force-user, very much. Somehow I doubt he’d go to any trouble on my behalf.” _

_ “Tali,” Maz said, squeezing the younger woman’s hands slightly, “There has been conflict and bad blood between Force-users and the Mandalorians for centuries. Maybe this is an opportunity to change that story.”  _

_ Tali tilted her head, smiling ruefully.  _

_ “You want me to try and undo centuries of conflict? With one grumpy tin can?”  _

_ Maz laughed at this and shook her head.  _

_ “No child, too many atrocities on both sides have been committed for there to be true peace yet. But, maybe, you can foster peace with this one. Every connection we make for peace adds to the light, and pushes back the dark.” _

_ Tali nodded and looked back into Maz’s eyes, fear showing in her own, “Maz...what if I….” Maz shushed her quietly and squeezed her hands again. “That is behind you, Tali. Don’t let the fears of your past rule your actions here.” Tali ducked her head and breathed in deeply.  _

_ “Okay. I’ll be back here before you know it. As soon as their minds are safe and the kid has some control over his abilities.”  _

An opportunity to change the story...given their interactions this evening she wasn’t sure this story would be any different than any before. Sighing, she rolled over and pulled the blankets over her as sleep called. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Baby Yoda DID levitate a Mudhorn and stop a wall of fire, I’m making the assumption that those were like those mom-lifting-a-car-off-her-kid situations, and that in everyday situations he wouldn’t be slinging around that much juice.  
> Say what you like about the Jedi, but there’s definitely something icky about using space magic to influence people, even for good reasons. Unfortunately, Tali has some firsthand experience in that area.  
> The Incom HA-980A is 100% canon. All hail Wookiepedia, lord and savior of SW fic writers everywhere.  
> Thank you for your comments, they fuel me!


	4. Buruk - (n) danger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tali makes poor choices in weaponry, Din is a sass, the kid is serenaded, and something changes.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments are life, guys. So excited to see that you're enjoying this.

As much as Din wanted to focus his full energies on searching for the kid’s species, skipping from planet to planet took fuel. And fuel took credits. And he wasn’t sure how much longer he could ignore that rattling sound emanating from the starboard engine.

He had always been good with money, spending only what he absolutely needed to keep the ship and himself running, and bringing the rest back to the Covert. Remembering life in leaner years there made it impossible to keep more than the bare minimum of his pay back for himself.

Several months after they left Nevarro (and running dangerously low on credits), Din had contacted Greef Karga and arranged to pick up a job here and there. Most pucks could be picked up and bounties turned in on any planet which hosted the Guild, which meant he was not constantly forced to return to Nevarro and the scene of his Tribe’s massacre.

He pulled out the latest puck he had picked up, a mid-ranking Black Sun syndicate lieutenant wanted for the high profile murder of a regional governor on some mid-Rim planet. The hologram flickered to life to show a middle-aged male Falleen sneering at the viewer. It hadn’t been difficult to track the lieutenant to Nar Shaddaa, known as the smuggler’s moon, and the hunter didn’t expect the capture to be terribly difficult. Reward should cover ship repairs and fuel with some left over, Din thought to himself.

He pocketed the puck again and took manual control as the ship shuddered slightly, coming into atmo over Nar Shaddaa’s never-ending urban sprawl. Following instructions from the space port authority, he docked in an open bay and stood as he finished the shutdown sequence. He paused and then leaned down to set the unique sequence that disabled start-up of the ship for anything other than a specific code, known only to him.

Turning, he saw the kid standing on the co-pilot seat, his tiny claws gripping the metal of the console as he attempted to see over it and out the transparasteel viewscreen. Din crouched in front of him and the child turned with a smile, perking his ears up in interest.

“I’ve gotta go out today. I’m going to leave you in the bunk, okay? Like we did before. You stay in there until I get back. I’ll leave a snack and your toys with you.”

The kid sneezed in response.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Din said, picking him up in one arm as he moved to the hatch and climbed quietly down the ladder to the main cabin. He spared a glance to the blanket that hung over Tali’s bunk, but turned away with an acrid taste in his mouth.

He’d lain awake long into the ship’s pre-set sleep cycle in his own bunk, the kid curled next to him ( _Again_ , he thought to himself, _gonna have to stop that or you’ll spoil him_ ), unable to stop thinking about the feeling of helplessness when Tali had taken over his mind. Some rational part of him knew she genuinely hadn’t intended to see the flashes of memory of his parent’s deaths, the look of anguish on her face had been sincere, but he couldn’t help feeling wary of her.

That lingering wariness was the reason he was leaving the kid in his bunk while he tracked down the bounty. Tali didn’t provide the risk of injury or cruelty that Ran’s old crew had, but she was still an unknown quantity and given the previous evening Din was taking no chances with her. After Mayfeld and Zero had opened his bunk area to get at the kid on that job, he had rigged up a way to lock the compartment; he felt fairly confident that she wouldn’t be able to get into it if she went poking around.

He quietly collected the kid’s favorite toys, a blanket from his cradle, and a snack of rhonto jerky from the galley area and settled everything (including the kid) in his tiny quarters. The child looked up at him curiously, tilting his head as if waiting for a game. Din ran a gloved hand over the long green ears, whispering “I’ll be back soon, _ad'ika_ ”, and set the locking mechanism. The panel closed with a small snick and he let out a breath.

Turning to listen, he could hear no sound of movement from Tali’s bunk, and after a moment he moved to collect his rifle, the tracking fob, and a small bag of credits he had stashed in the wall behind two crates. He put one hand against the hatch opening and turned to take one last look inside the ship. _Kid is secured, weapons locker is closed, ship start-up is locked down_. Moderately satisfied that he could leave for a few hours at least, he strode down the ramp and went to talk with the mechanic about that rattling sound.

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Tali woke to a loud banging sound from the other side of the ship. Sitting up quickly, she narrowly avoided slamming her head into the bulkhead strut above her cot. Peering through the gap between the makeshift curtain and the metal wall of the ship, she saw nothing but the empty cabin lit dimly by daylight from the open hatch. She pushed the blanket aside and climbed out of the narrow bunk, stifling a shiver as her bare feet met the cold decking. She grabbed a shirt and a pair of light trousers from the shelf overhead and slipped into the tiny refresher to change and wash up.

Re-entering the cabin and feeling more alert, she looked around more carefully but still found no sign of either the Mandalorian or the child in the main cabin or the cockpit area. The bounty hunter had mentioned having a job set up on this planet, but the whereabouts of the child were a mystery. He wouldn’t have taken the kid on a hunting job, would he? Truth be told, she had very little idea what the man would or wouldn’t do, but she couldn’t imagine him putting the kid in harm’s way given the protective attitude he had displayed so far.

An hour later, she had identified the banging sound as a mechanic working on the starboard engine and had exhausted nearly all avenues to entertain herself. She had poked around the ship as much as she dared, opening any doors that were unlocked but leaving those which did not open at her first attempt alone. The ship was depressingly barren of anything interesting outside of a few cargo crates and netting, the carbonite freezing unit, and the stocked galley. A blanket and some toys were missing from the kid’s little shelf but she supposed they had been taken to occupy him, wherever he was.

With no idea when the Mandalorian would return, she flopped down on her cot. Turning her head, she looked at the cracked guitar case tucked between the end of her bed and the bulkhead. Well, there’s nothing else to do, she thought, sitting up and sliding over to drag the case out and pull the dark red wooden instrument from inside it. Given the slightly sick feeling of guilt that arose whenever she thought about the previous evening, some music might be just the thing to soothe her.

As she settled the guitar against her body and let her fingers rest on the strings, she felt herself relax. This was something she knew and could do without fear of failure or judgement. As her hands moved through familiar chords and passages, she let her mind wander.

_Her father’s hands were so much bigger than hers and covered the neck of the instrument far more easily than her small ones. His fingers danced across the strings and made the same passages that gave Tali endless frustration seem effortless. His husky voice sang quietly, the same songs he had used to lull his children to sleep after the death of their mother._

_“I wish my hands were bigger, Baba. I can barely reach all the strings,” Tali mumbled bitterly, stretching her tiny hands out in front of her. Her father laughed and moved his large, graceful picking hand from the instrument to cover hers, dwarfing it._

_“You just need to keep practicing, Talise. That way when your hands grow bigger, you’ll be ready for them.”_

_Tali made a non-committal sound. Given how much smaller she was than the other children in the settlement, she couldn’t help but imagine that she would be small forever._

_“Besides, your hands are perfect for so many things now! You know I always have to call you to reach the little engine parts that my hands can’t get to. Even Arek can’t reach those parts.” he said, clasping his other hand around both of hers and pressing lightly, “And more than that, Talise, you have your gift. You can do so much good with these hands and your gift.”_

_He pulled his hands back and continued playing. Talise leaned against his shoulder and closed her eyes, feeling the lean muscles move under her cheek as she took comfort in the familiar music and the low hum of her father’s voice._

A slight thumping sound pulled her from her reminiscences and she stopped playing to listen; the sound came again a moment later. It seemed to be coming from a closed panel across the cabin from her. Putting the guitar down beside her, she crept over to the panel and put her fingertips and ear against it to listen. She yelped and jumped back as the panel slid up with a slight hiss. Behind it stood the kid, blinking innocently and looking for all the world as if he had been waiting for her.

“What are you doing in there, Kou-nyee?” Tali asked, a laugh of relief and surprise bubbling up from her chest. The kid reached out to her with one hand and tilted his head, and she felt emotions of pleased surprise brush against her mind. Encouraged by his eagerness to communicate, Tali put together feelings of curiosity and an image of the Mandalorian and projected them to the kid.

“Did murishani leave you in here?” she asked, her voice gentle.

In response, he sent back an image of the man sliding a gentle hand over his green ears and a soft reassuring whisper before warm and comfortable darkness fell. The dichotomy between the man she had encountered the previous evening and the man he seemed to be with the child was striking, particularly considering the fact that the kid had been flitting in and out of his mind for weeks now. The kid doesn’t know better yet, you do and went too far, said a guilty nagging voice from the back of her mind.

Another brush along her mind interrupted her remorseful thoughts as the kid projected sounds to her; the gentle notes of her guitar along with a feeling of curiosity.

“You...you want to hear my guitar?” She created an image of herself playing with the kid next to her and received an excited chirp in response.

“Sure, we can do that. Can you get down from there yourself?” She reached into the bunk to collect the blanket and toys, intending to bring them over to her bunk. When she looked back, the kid was on the deck, grinning up at her.

“That answers that question. You’re a clever one, aren’t you Kou?”

She headed back to her bunk, spreading his blanket and toys on top of it as he followed her. Tali was reaching down to help him up when he let out an annoyed chirp and jumped up onto the bunk. She blinked and then laughed as he settled himself against her knee.

“Figured out you can use the Force to help you, huh? You’re gonna be a real terror once you realize how high you can jump with it.”

Shaking her head, she pulled the guitar back across her lap, the top of the kid’s eyes and those huge ears just level with the top of the neck of the instrument as he stared in fascination. He ran one tiny hand along the smooth wooden body of it, his claws making light rasping noises against the grain of the wood.

Tali started with one of the first songs her father had taught her, a simple chord progression under a melody line, watching the kid’s ears flick one way and then the other as he listened and watched her fingers. He seemed fascinated by her strumming and picking and when she finished he put his hand against the strings. She stroked his head and he snuggled closer to her, watching with those deep brown eyes. She played as many songs as she could remember, noticing that he seemed to particularly enjoy when she sang along with some of them, as poor as her voice was.

She heard a rustling sound from the doorway and looked up sharply, her picking hand quieting the strings. A mop of black hair and a pair of dark eyes peered in at them from around the hatch.

“Hello?” She said gently, “You can come in.” A boy slipped into the ship. He was ten or eleven years old and wearing a pair of oil-stained coveralls with a smudge of engine grease on his nose.

“Did you need something, pateesa?” Tali asked. The boy spoke quietly, his eyes fixed on the child who returned his gaze with interest.

“Master Seit says work’s done on the engine, Miss.”

Tali slid the kid slightly back from the edge of the cot and into the shadow of her instrument.

“Thanks. Did the Mandalorian already pay for the work?” The mech’s assistant shook his head, his black curls flopping across his ears.

“Okay, well I’ll make sure he pays your master when he gets back. Was that it?” The boy nodded and turned to leave, peeking back one more time at the child now behind Tali’s arm. His footsteps faded and Tali exhaled in relief. The boy hardly represented a threat to them, but given what Maz had told her about the hunters that had come after the child she was wary of anyone getting too close a look at him on a planet like Nar Shaddaa.

She felt a sting in her fingertips reminding her how long it had been since she’d played for any length of time, and she picked up the instrument to place it back in it’s case. The kid’s ears drooped a little in disappointment as she did. She stroked his head and spoke as she settled back down to face him on the bunk.

“That’s enough for now, little guy. But you know what, you fell asleep last night before we could start working on your shields! Why don’t we do that for awhile?”

She conveyed the idea to him using a series of images and emotions; him projecting to her at the castle, and excitement, encouragement, and play, to motivate him to go for the idea. He was quickly distracted from the music and mimicked her when she closed her eyes. Feeling his consciousness reaching out for connection, she allowed him into her mind.

Tali pictured the two of them standing on a hill overlooking a quiet valley. The sun was brilliant overhead and a warm breeze stirred the blades of the lush green grass around them. She suffused the image with feelings of peace and safety, pulled from her memories of home. The child cooed in delight and made as if to run off into the long grass.

“ _Stay here, little one_ ,” Tali’s image murmured as she leaned down to catch him by one arm, “ _it’s safe here._ ”

Far in the distance, she created a vague darkness, giving it the same eerie searching feeling that came with most overt mental intrusions, and accompanying it with a dimming of the sun’s light and a sudden chill in the breeze. She crouched beside the child, holding his hand. He recoiled from the darkness and she felt his claws clutch at her hand as he pressed close.

 _“There is danger, but we can protect ourselves from it.”_ As she spoke, a large grey river stone appeared in her other hand and she placed it on the ground between them and the darkness.

Immediately, the darkness slowed its progress and the breeze warmed. Conjuring more stones of different sizes, she continued to place the stones in front of them, Kou leaning down to touch them. They continued like that for a few moments, and when he looked up again there was a large stone wall in front of them and the sun’s full warmth had returned. He looked up at her and she placed a hand on the wall, projecting safety and security to him. The child moved his own small hand to caress one of the stones at eye level and returned the feeling.

Satisfied that the concept of a wall separating them from the searching feeling meant safety to him, Tali opened a small gap in the wall she had built, a few feet to their left. The icy searching feeling began to leak through and the child shrank into her side again. In response, she reached out her hand in the vision, a small stone in her hand.

The kid looked up at her with his dark eyes and she smiled and nodded, projecting warmth and confidence to him.

_“Build your wall, Kou-nyee.”_

He took the stone from her hand and placed it in the gap between them and the darkness. She coupled the moment with a decrease in the icy feeling and the kid looked back at her with surprise, realizing he could build the same shield-wall as she could.

She had Kou practice repairing gaps in the wall a few more times, opening small holes one at a time, letting him shuffle over to each and handing him stones to seal up the gap. He caught on to the game quickly, turning to look down the length of the wall for more gaps without her prompting him.

 _“Good, Kou, keep your shield whole,”_ she thought, projecting satisfaction. She held a hand out to him and when he took it she gently pushed his presence from her mind, letting the vision of them on the grassy hill fade away.

She opened her eyes again, meeting the kid’s delighted gaze and grinning; his glee at the new game was infectious. She felt confident he would learn shielding quickly, he had grasped the concept of a shield wall with far more ease than she had expected. Definitely more easily than I did, she thought to herself.

Heavy footsteps sounded on the ramp behind her and she called out without looking away from the kid, feeling somewhat relieved that the bounty hunter was back.

“Everything go okay, _murishani_?”

When she received no response she turned her head and her heart stopped when she saw a massive Transdoshan, blaster drawn, standing in the doorway. She scrambled up and stepped towards the ladder to the cockpit, grabbing the child and sheltering him with the far side of her body as she did, her other hand held protectively over his head.

“Who are you?” she asked, her heart pounding now as the creature took another step into the ship.

“Wassss at the local cantina and heard somethin’ sssstrange from a mechanicssss assistant…sssaid hisss master was fixing a ship for a Mando, with a girl and a ssstrange little green thing on board...thought to mysssself, you know, I know ssssome people who are payin’ an awful lot for a little green brat…”

The Transdoshan’s tone was almost sing-song as he moved slowly into the ship. Tali backed up as he did, keeping the kid tucked behind her. Her eyes darted around for something, anything to defend herself with. Her eyes fell on the open tool chest that sat a few feet to her right and she bent to snatch up the hydrospanner on top, clutching it tightly. As she whipped back towards the mercenary he laughed in disbelief, a harsh barking sound.

“And what exactly issss it you plan to do with that, girl?”

“Get out of here,” she said, her voice hard. Her arm now squeezing the kid against her protected side, she moved back another step and tightened her grip on the hydrospanner, drawing it back as if she were going to bring it down over his head.

The Transdoshan darted forward and grabbed her upheld arm just above the wrist with his gloved hand, squeezing it until she was forced to drop the tool. Tali kicked out at his knee but he twisted her arm, forcing her to turn, and dug his shin into the back of her leg. Her knees slammed hard into the decking as she fell, catching herself at the last moment to avoid falling fully on her face and crushing the kid. Tali strained against the hold but the mercenary twisted her wrist further until her shoulder felt like it was being pulled from the socket. He leaned down and put the blaster to her temple, his breath hot and stinking in her face.

“Where’sss the Mandalorian? Heard there wasss a Mando with the kid,” he crooned close to her face as she panted, and wrenched her arm to force her down to the deck. She could not hold back a gasp of pain as the muscles in her shoulder screamed.

“Sshouldn’t have run off and left such preciousss cargo all alone. Maybe I’ll take you with me too, girl. Sssomething for the trip.”

The hunter dragged the tip of the blaster down her cheek and started to pull her backwards to reveal the kid, forcing her back to an unnatural angle as she tried to keep the child behind her. As he dragged her upper body to the side to expose the kid’s terrified face, she heard the child shriek with fear. She tried to keep her body between the mercenary and the kid, but it was useless; she was trapped.

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Din dumped the unconscious form of the cuffed Falleen on the bay floor outside the ship and let out a breath, his shoulders aching slightly. His bounty had first run from him, _pointless,_ and then turned to engage him. Normally this would’ve provided Din with an opportunity to work off some lingering anger but his desire to finish it quickly led to a jolt of electricity from the dual-pronged tip of the Amban. It had been a pain carrying the dead weight of the Black Sun lieutenant back across town but at least he didn’t have to worry about him fighting back. He stopped to pay the mechanic and headed to warm up the carbonite unit.

As he neared the gangway he heard the kid cry out from inside the ship and broke into a run. Bursting through the doorway, he saw an enormous Transdoshan standing over Tali’s kneeling form, her arm twisted up painfully behind her back in a wrist lock. A hydrospanner lay on the floor near the pair, and he could hear the kid crying from behind Tali’s body.

Swinging the rifle onto his shoulder, he dropped to one knee and put a disintegrator round into the back of the Transdoshan, who immediately exploded in a puff of ash and sparks, his blaster clattering down on the deck.

Tali sagged in relief, her freed hand going immediately to cradle the kid’s head; he was crying more quietly now, soft sobs rather than the frightened shrieks of a moment before. Din hurried to them and took the child from her, turning him this way and that to check for any injuries as he hiccuped himself into silence. Finding him unharmed he looked down at Tali, who was panting.

“What happened?”

“Thought it was you coming up the ramp, I didn’t even realize until he was halfway in here,” she gulped, standing and massaging her arm where the Transdoshan had been gripping it. “He came for the kid, said he’d heard the mech’s assistant talk about seeing us here.”

The Mandalorian cursed under his breath and held the child back out to her.

“We gotta move. Take the kid.”

She took the child from him, shushing him softly and swaying gently on the spot to soothe him. He clung to her, big dark eyes still terrified. She pulled a corner of her shirt up to dab at them; tears flooded down the poor kid's face, pooling in the little wrinkles around his nose. Her hands trembled slightly, adrenaline still coursing through her system.

Din strode back out of the ship to grab the still-unconscious Falleen. Dragging him onboard, he shoved the bounty into the carbonite freezer and coded in the sequence to initiate the freezing process. Once the smoke cleared he directed the rectangle of carbonite into the empty storage rack.

He slammed the button to close the hatch and stalked to the ladder, climbing up to the cockpit without a word, tension in every line of his body. A moment later, she heard the engines roar to life and the ship jolted slightly as it left the ground. There was another bit of turbulence a few minutes later as they hit the hyperspace lane, and then smooth silence. Din came back down the ladder and took the kid from her more gently than before, his voice still tight with tension.

“We’re on course for Dandoran to deliver the bounty. I think we got out of there quickly enough to keep any other hunters off our tail.” He paused to look her over, “You okay?”

Tali nodded silently, suddenly exhausted.

“I thought you said the Guild had taken the bounty off you?”

“Karga assured me that the Guild tracking fobs were all deactivated. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a bounty outside the Guild, there are plenty of hunters willing to work off the books. Could be there’s someone higher up Moff Gideon’s chain that still wants the kid.” His voice was bitter.

Din had felt something akin to hope when Gideon’s TIE fighter had crashed to the rocky surface of Nevarro, a faint optimism that he could search for the kid’s family without constantly looking over his shoulder for the next hunter carrying a fob. _Should’ve known better_.

Putting the calmed child down on the deck, Din noticed the hydrospanner lying near the abandoned blaster. He bent to pick both up and replaced the hydrospanner in the tool chest, looking back at her as he did.

“Did you try to fight him off with a ‘spanner?” he asked, his voice slightly incredulous, “You know there’s an entire storage locker of weapons three feet from you, right?”

She let out a huff of laughter and scrubbed her hands over her face, shrugging her shoulder as she did, wincing as the tender joint twinged.

“I just went for whatever was closest, the guy got ahold of me before I could go for a blaster. Once he did, I couldn’t budge the hold...I’m not really trained in hand-to-hand.”

“Couldn’t use your space magic to fight him off?” he asked wryly, as he placed the blaster on an open rack in the weapons locker, hoping she was watching and would remember where it was.

Her body tensed, hands pressed against her cheeks as the feeling of sick guilt flooded her stomach, and she shook her head.

“The way he had my arm twisted, I couldn’t get any skin contact. I’m not strong enough to do more than heavily influence without that.”

“You said.” He had turned to look at her, but didn’t move from in front of the locker.

There was a moment of awkward silence, and then they both spoke at once.

“I know you weren’t trying to--”

“I swear, I never meant to--”

They both stopped. Tali was the first to speak again, the words tumbling out all in one breath.

“I wanted to apologize this morning, but you’d already left. I should've been more careful, or warned you about it more. I completely understand if you don’t trust me for the shield work after that, it was a massive invasion of pri--”

Din interrupted her fretting.

“I know you didn’t mean to do it. I’m sorry. For what I said about you. Thank you for protecting the kid."

Tali nodded and there was another moment of awkward silence in which Din examined the cross-hatched pattern of the deck.

Thinking of the small woman trying to fend off the hunter with a glorified wrench, he shook his head, smiling in spite of the close call, and tilted his helmet back up.

“I could teach you, if you want, how to get someone off your back without a blaster or your...abilities. Can’t always count on being able to get skin contact.”

She looked up at the black glass of his visor.

“That would be great actually. It’s been awhile since I’ve needed to think about protecting myself.”

“We’ll find someplace quiet after I deliver the bounty and I can show you some ways to defend yourself.” he said, turning his gaze to the occupied storage rack. Curious now, Tali walked over to investigate the carbonite slab and did a double take when she saw the Falleen's features.

“Is that Lan Cai Novar?”

Din dug the puck out of his pocket, flicked the hologram to life to check the name listed under the image, and looked back at her.

“You know him?”

“Only ever saw him, but I’ve heard plenty. He’s with Black Sun.”

His helmet tilted slightly to the side in curiosity.

“If I run your chain code, am I gonna find a bounty on you?”

“No, no bounties,” Tali replied quickly, “I’ve just had some run-ins with Black Sun before.” He noticed that she rubbed unconsciously at the thick brown leather cord around her left wrist as she spoke.

“Mhm. Any of that going to make things difficult for us?”

Tali shifted uneasily.

“I don’t think so, but it probably depends where we go. I try not to make trouble.”

“Somehow I find that hard to believe.” Sarcasm was thick in his modulated voice as he passed her on his way back up to the cockpit. She grinned and, after sweeping the kid onto her shoulder, followed him up the ladder.

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

It was late afternoon on Dandoran when the ship touched down in a large clearing on a high plateau above thick forest. They had already made a stop at Valen City, a space port built on platforms over submerged mangrove roots, for Din to allow offloading of the bounty and collect the reward from the local Guild Master.

Shutting down the engines, the Mandalorian exhaled and allowed himself to relax minutely. The presence of a heavy bag of credits and a distinct lack of any unusual sounds from the ship felt good. They were far enough from any population center to make it a hassle for hunters to find them, and they had a good vantage point to see if any particularly determined ones decided to make an attempt.

The kid had tried to make a run for it when they stopped to drop off the bounty. Din had plucked him off the ramp as he attempted to sneak past him, prompting outraged squeaks as he set the tiny green monster back in his cradle. To be honest Din was sympathetic; other than the quick stop on Takodana they hadn’t had much of a chance to stretch their legs for awhile. It would be good to stay a few days on the plateau before continuing their search.

Tali came up beside him as he opened the main hatch and a wall of hot, humid air assaulted them. The sounds of bird and insect calls swelled as the two of them walked down the ramp. The child followed them at his slow pace, ears swiveling slightly to take in all of the noises.

Tali bent over to twist her hair up into a knot on top of her head and blew out a breath as she came back up, wiping the back of one hand across her forehead.

“Maker, it’s humid here.”

Din could already feel drops of sweat sliding down his skin under the beskar and his canvas layers, but ignored it.

“The Guild Master said it was the hottest season they’ve had in years.” He replied, looking over the clearing, “This is a good location, we should be safe here for a few days.”

“Really? It would be great to be off the ship. Not that it isn’t a nice ship and all, but it’s been awhile since I was on one for any length of time. Takes some getting used to again.”

Tali strode over to the edge of the plateau and looked out over the view, breathing a contented sigh at the wealth of green spread below them.

Din dragged two small cargo crates out from the ship and returned to grab the hydrospanner Tali had co-opted earlier for defense. Using one crate as a seat, he settled down to do some maintenance on his left vambrace, the only part of his armor that had suffered some small damage from the Falleen’s short-lived struggle. He kept an eye on the kid, who seemed to be enjoying exploring every facet of the clearing available at eye-level.

A few minutes later, he saw the kid scrabbling for something on the ground. A moment after that, the kid’s hands went to his face and Din stood quickly.

“Hey! What’ve you got in your mouth?” He said, striding over to look down at him.

The kid blinked up at him innocently, the image spoiled by what looked like a tail sticking out the side of his mouth.

“We’ve talked about this. No eating strange critters. Spit it out.”

The kid giggled around his mouthful of something and inched slightly away from Din.

“Don’t give me that.” He pointed to the ground, “Spit it out. Now.”

Looking over at them, Tali snorted as the child opened his mouth to let a small, saliva-covered lizard plop to the ground in front of him.

The bounty hunter picked up the lizard and threw the wet and wriggling body into the trees. The kid moved on, unphased by his caretaker’s concern.

The corners of Tali’s eyes crinkled as she walked over to stand next to the Mandalorian, folding her arms.

“Kids are just about the same everywhere, no matter what species. There were a couple toddlers in the mountain villages around Maz’s place going through the same phase. Though they were more likely to eat dirt or plants than lizards.” She wrinkled her nose and chuckled.

There was a “hmph” from under the helmet in response.

“Do you know what he eats?”

“I know he likes meat, but I’ve got no idea what else he should be eating.”

“Looks like Maz gave you a pretty good variety of food, I’m sure we’ll find something he likes in there.”

She uncrossed her arms and placed her hands on the back of her hips, turning slightly to face him.

“Now, I believe you said something about putting some moves on me.”

“I, what?” Din managed, caught off guard by the implication in the statement.

“You offered to train me? How to fight someone off?” He could see a glint of mischief in her eyes now.

“Oh. Yeah,” he cleared his throat, feeling slightly foolish, “Yeah, we can do that.”

He heard her snicker as he turned to check on the kid; he was still wandering the clearing but seemed content to stay within its bounds and away from the plateau’s edge.

Tali trailed after him as he moved to the center of the open space and turned back to face her, his posture relaxed

“Show me your stance.”

She fell into what felt like a strong stance, one foot slightly in front of the other with her hands clenched in fists in front of her chest, muscles tensed. The Mandalorian cocked his head slightly to the side.

“Why are you standing like that?”

“Like what?” She looked down at her feet and back up at him.

“How else am I supposed to stand? This feels solid.”

He shook his head slightly and came to stand next to her.

“Move this foot back further. Your stance needs to be wider to be stable.” He put his boot against the inside of her right foot and pushed slightly until she slid it back to his satisfaction.

“Put more of your weight on your front foot. Back leg is where your power comes from, front leg is for stability. Your feet should be set but not planted, you need to be light on them to move quickly.” Din brought his hands to her waist and rotated her torso back slightly so her weight was settled more over her hips, her back brushing against his cuirass as he positioned her.

“You’re small enough that your goal is to avoid taking hits or letting them get their hands on you. Let them tire themselves out trying to catch hold of you while you enact your plan, whether it's getting your hands on a weapon or finding an exit. They should be using up energy until you're ready to strike."

He circled Tali to stand in front of her and nudged her fists up higher.

“Keep your hands up to protect your throat and chin. Your elbows will protect your chest.”

Din stepped back and looked her over again. _Better_ , he thought, giving an approving nod before continuing.

"Remember, you're not a prize fighter. Don't take a hit you don't have to. Move around strikes whenever possible."

He gestured to her to throw a punch. As Tali attacked, Din shifted his body almost lazily to the side and brought up his left hand to grip her outstretched arm, continuing his movement past her to put her off balance. She stumbled but managed to keep her feet.

He released her arm and she turned to face him again, bringing her hands back up to her chin. This time he threw a punch at her, telegraphing the movement to warn her. While only at half speed, she only just avoided it by ducking to the side. Tali blew out a breath, displacing the hair that had come loose from the knot on her head. Some of it stuck to the light sheen of sweat on her forehead and she swiped it aside impatiently, scowling at him in concentration. When she dropped her protecting hand on her next punch, Din caught her right wrist to stop her movement forward and tapped a gloved finger against her exposed jaw as a reminder.

“Look for areas on your opponent’s body that they may be leaving open when they come at you. Throat or jaw is a good bet, and if they’re not armored and you can move around the blow, you can get to their kidneys.” As he spoke he turned her body slightly and touched a spot under her lower ribs on her back, his hand firm.

As the sun sank slowly towards the treeline, they alternated blows with fists and feet, Din careful not to put too much power behind his. By the time Tali stood back to wipe sweat off her face he was content that she could preempt most of the strikes and move around them with only a few stumbles or glancing blows.

"That’s a good start. But what if they’re more interested in getting ahold of you than striking you?"

In an instant, the Mandalorian was across the space between them and behind her with her arm impossibly twisted up and back, her wrist between her shoulder blades. She gasped as he controlled her whole body through the slightest shifts of her arm, though he was careful not exert much pressure.

"It takes very little force to control someone's movements if you take advantage of weak points on the body." His voice was smooth and warm even through the modulator and his helmet was so close to her face that she could feel the metal edge brush her ear. Tali felt the urge to shiver despite the hot, wet air.

Letting go, Din spun her to face him again and extended his left arm in between them.

"Your mistake with the Transdoshan was giving him access. Wrists are the easiest way to someone's pressure points, especially if they’re trying to hit you. To take advantage of it in someone else, grip tightly here," he said, pointing to the inside of his left wrist in the space where his vambrace met his glove, "Twist here," he wrapped his right hand around the back of his left hand and twisted to demonstrate, "Or squeeze here on any finger," he grabbed his left thumb with his right hand and bent it in and up, "And you own them."

Tali raised her eyebrows.

"Can I try it?" she asked with half a grin.

"Sure, but don't get too excited." There was a hint of wry humor in his voice as she stepped forward eagerly.

Din showed her how to enact the move on him and was surprised at the strength in her grip. Regardless of whether she was normally this determined or the episode with the hunter had spurred her to action, he appreciated the focus she showed in listening to his directions and trying the moves for herself.

When they had practiced several holds and immobilizing movements enough for Tali to get the hang of it, he stepped back.

"Quick study, but let’s see if you can put it all together. "

Tali had just enough time to assume her own stance before he strode across the distance and struck a straight jab towards her face. Twisting to the left, she avoided the punch and sent her own fist towards his exposed side. She only found air though as Din pivoted to the side and sent his leg sweeping out to knock her over. Tali kept her feet but took the brunt of the sweep on the side of her right shin, sucking in a breath from the jarring impact. Noticing that the move had left his weight leaning out, she put both hands on his pauldron and shoved him sideways and down.

As he fell, Din's left leg slid up hers to hook behind her knee and bring her down with him, landing next to each other. As he rolled to his knees, Tali scrambled behind him and caught his arm, yanking it up his back with both hands around his wrist. With his arm at an uncomfortable angle she threw her weight into the hold, forcing him to bend awkwardly to his right. Hearing him grunt in discomfort, Tali grinned and let out a triumphant ‘hah!’.

Her moment of triumph was short-lived however. Overbalancing his body to the right, Din freed his left leg to move more easily, allowing him to kick out at her knees and throw her off balance. At the same time he reached up with his right arm, grabbed Tali by the shoulder, and used the grip to yank her down onto her back, reversing their positions.

His knees straddled her waist, forearm planted against her neck and his other hand pinning both her wrists in a firm grip over her head. She growled in frustration and strained, trying to find some way to twist her body under his weight. The Mandalorian inhaled sharply at the movement and a hot blush spread across her cheeks as she realized she was grinding up against him in her struggle to escape. He rose up off her quickly and backed up to give her space to stand.

“That’s probably enough for now. Don’t want to overwork your shoulder.” His voice was tight as he walked back to the crate to sit down.

“Now that you mention it, that’s probably a good idea.” She rubbed the throbbing joint with one hand and grimaced slightly. As she did the kid shuffled over and laid a hand on her shin, looking up with round eyes and silently asking for something.

“What is it, Kou-nyee?” As she asked, she cycled through projections of several images; his toys, his cradle, a piece of bantha jerky -- the kid’s ears popped up at the last one and his eyes brightened. Tali laughed and bent down to straighten the collar on his little robe.

“Hungry, huh? Let’s go see if we can find something that looks good.” She turned to the Mandalorian, who had just spread a star chart across the second crate.

“Think you could make a fire while I find something for the kid to eat?”

He dipped his head and stood as she headed back into the ship, the kid waddling after her excitedly.

She settled on stew, packaged with preserved vegetables and meat. While the package was meant to cook instantly with water, it was thin and smelled depressingly bland. Rooting through the shelves in the galley, Tali gave a pleased hum when she found a packet of spices Maz had stuck in with the rations. Carrying the pot and spices back outside, she set it up over the newly built fire and added a hefty dose from the packet. Leaving it to bubble and thicken, she sat a foot or two back from the fire and rubbed her shoulder again. A light wind had come with the setting sun, relieving the dense humidity of the afternoon, and the warmth of the flames was pleasant.

“Here.”

A gloved hand appeared in her peripheral vision, holding a tube of numbing cream. Looking up, she saw the Mandalorian reaching over to her from his seat on the crate. He twitched his hand towards her in a gesture to take the tube.

“For your shoulder. It’ll hurt more tomorrow without it.”

“Thanks.” She said, taking it from his outstretched hand.

She stripped off her shirt, revealing a black sleeveless undershirt. Din turned slightly away and focused on the star charts, a rush of heat warming his cheeks at her casual immodesty. He made the mistake of looking up again a few minutes later and his mouth went dry at the image of her muscles sliding smoothly under the lightly tanned skin of her exposed shoulders and upper back as she massaged the cream into her shoulder. He jerked his head back to the charts and continued marking a trajectory. _It’s just skin. Stop acting like a teenager._ The only woman he’d had on board for any real length of time was Cara, who felt more like an _ori’vod_ than anything else.

The kid artfully shredded a large leaf, handing pieces of it to Tali from time to time with an explanatory babble that she responded to with interested noises and distracted thanks.

As the smell of the stew drifted his way, Din’s stomach growled loudly. It hadn’t taken long for it to get used to something resembling actual food again after the several meals at Maz’s castle. The kid clearly had the same idea, because he dropped his leaf-pieces and trundled over as soon as Tali started portioning out bowls for them. She held it away from him for a few moments to blow on it and he made his displeasure clear by trying to climb her leg, letting out tiny grumbles of effort. Shaking her head, she reached down to hand him the bowl and some bread. He carefully carried them a few feet away before sitting down and beginning to slurp at the stew.

She started to spoon a third serving into a bowl when Din spoke.

“I’ll eat later.”

“Is that because of the…” she gestured with the spoon at his helmet and he nodded.

“Gotcha. Well, how about I portion some out at least, and I can just leave it in the cockpit for you? That way the little guy doesn’t eat your share.” she finished wryly, watching the enthusiastic way the kid was already inhaling his portion.

“Thank you.”

Tali finished filling the third bowl and snagged a bread ration off the table crate before carrying both items up the ramp into the ship. When she returned she ate her portion quickly, using the bread to scrape any remnants from the bottom of her bowl before settling back with a satisfied sigh. Next to her, the kid let out a surprisingly loud burp and giggled when she looked at him with an scandalized murmur of ‘Kou!’ and an exaggerated expression of surprise. She stretched out to lay on her side with her head propped on one hand, and the child immediately made his way over to plunk himself down with his back against her sternum.

Din watched them for a few minutes, the kid’s eyes slowly closing as Tali ran a hand lightly along one of his ears and hummed quietly. Maybe he should’ve taken the kid’s reaction to the woman as a sign from the start, the little womp rat had been a good judge of character so far and he clearly didn’t view her as a threat. Maz’s words came back to him; _Her loyalty cannot be bought, and her heart is kind and forgiving._

Since she had come onboard the ship she had shown nothing but warmth and patience to the kid. And she’d protected him from the hunter. He had taken the Armorer’s words to heart when she described the jetii and Force-users as enemies of the mando’ade, but she had made an exception for the kid. _Maybe there’s more than one exception to be made here._ He pushed away a tendril of dread at the idea of allowing her back into his mind and took a deep breath.

“Would you be willing to give the shield training another go?” He asked, breaking the peaceful silence.

Tali blinked, caught in the quiet of the evening, and looked up at him.

“Yeah, of course.” She sounded slightly surprised as she sat up, but given his previous behavior her reaction was understandable.

Din rose to pick up the now snoring child and moved him to his cradle, murmuring to him quietly as he carefully tucked him in before returning to sit across from her. His cuirass reflected the dancing flames and Tali had to tear her eyes away from it to focus.

“Well, you already know how it feels to have someone in your mind, so we can skip that.” She offered up a small apologetic smile and tucked an errant lock of hair behind her ear.

“So. Shields. When you start to feel that pressure of another mind, you need to have shields ready to bring up. That means you need to have something that you know well, something that’s instinctive to throw up as a defense. That’s the big reason you need practice to have them be any good. If you’re questioning what they look like or feel like while someone is trying to get past them, they’re not going to be much good at keeping anyone out.”

He tipped his head slightly to the left in attention.

“The other thing about mental shields is that everyone’s shields look different. What I see as safe may not be what seems safe to you, or to the kid. It’s best to draw on your own emotions and memories to build it, so you’ll have to put some thought into that. If you’d like, I can show you what I’ve been working on with Kou. I’d just be projecting, I wouldn’t be in your mind or anything.”

“That would be helpful” he said, curious.

“Sure. It may give you some ideas for how you can build yours. Close your eyes, if you would.”

A moment later an idyllic scene formed behind his closed lids. He stood on a lush, grass-covered hill over a large valley with the wide band of a river snaking its way across, the surface of the water sparkling in the bright sunlight. An intense feeling of calm came over him as a warm gust of wind rustled his cloak. To his right, there was an immense grey stone wall, at least twice his height. The stones were smoothed with age and fit snugly against each other, light green lichen growing in a winding pattern along their surfaces. The wall radiated stability and the sense that it had stood for millenia and would continue to stand, come what may. Tali spoke from next to him.

_“I created this for him, to learn how a shielding wall works and to practice building his own. He seems to like it so far, but he can change it once he figures out what works for him. Since he’s so young and I’m assuming he’s been through some stressful situations, I tried to make it as peaceful as possible.”_

Din inhaled the sweet smelling air and smiled behind the helmet. The place reminded him of the same peace they’d temporarily had on Sorgan. When he spoke, his voice was quiet.

_“I think it’s good. The kid deserves some peace.”_

The vision faded as he opened his eyes and he was sitting across from Tali again, the fire crackling next to them.

“It’s not exactly what I have for my shields, but it’s a nice place.” she said, a contented smile on her face

“What do your shields look like?”

“Uh. Well, they’re... I’ll just show you.”

Prepared now for her projection, he closed his eyes and waited for the vision to form. When it did, he thought there must be a mistake. Din didn’t know what he had expected, but it definitely wasn’t the scene in front of him.

They stood on a stoney outcropping, the burnt-out shell of a walled city spread below them with heavy clouds of dust and smoke still drifting slowly over the scene. Some of the buildings were more intact than others, but almost all of them showed signs of heavy fighting. Rubble was piled at the intersections of streets and broken glass reflected the weak sunlight.

 _“I don’t..this is your shield?”_ He couldn’t see how any aspect of the scene below them could translate to a feeling of safety or peace.

_“Like I said, what feels safe to one person may not feel safe to another. Some people feel more comfortable creating a safe place and having one big wall or shield around it. I feel more comfortable knowing that even if someone breaks through my shields, they’ll have a hell of a time finding anything to use against me. Everything in my mind, information and memories and all, is hidden down there, all over the city in different buildings. An attacker would have to basically raze the whole place to the ground if they wanted to find a specific piece of information.”_

Din stared out over the desolate scene. He started to ask why the city was in ruins, but hesitated; while Tali had been open about her shields he couldn’t help but feel that she was showing him something deeply personal, something she wouldn’t routinely show others. His thoughts were interrupted as the vision faded. He blinked and they were back by the fireside, Tali speaking again.

“Your shields can be whatever you want, as long as you know every inch of them. You’ve got to be able to imagine everything about them, down to the smells and sounds and feel of them. The more you can imagine them as the same thing repeatedly, the stronger they’ll be.”

The end of her sentence was punctuated with a yawn and she stretched before standing.

“Now, not to mimic you but I think that’s enough for today. I’m wiped, the kid’s asleep, and you need to eat something. Plus you’ve got some thinking to do on what your shields will look like before we do more.”

He inclined his head.

“Thank you.”

“Sure. ‘Night.”

He sat in front of the fire for several long minutes after she disappeared into the ship, deep in thought and eyes focused on the flames.

No place had been safe since the Purge. They had fled Mandalore as barely more than a handful of warriors guarding foundlings and one of the recently minted Armorers as the _alor_ of their new tribe. They’d had stints on several mid-Rim planets, none longer than a year, before coming to Nevarro. The tunnels under the city had provided some measure of safety for the foundlings and a stable place to light the forge, and Nevarro had provided enough opportunities for work to keep them from starving. Their final instructions from the elders had been to settle somewhere safe and wait for word from the rest of the clans, but contact had never come. As years went by it became less and less likely that anything would come until they finally admitted to themselves that they were alone.

He thought back further to his older memories of the heavily fortified _bral_ of the Fighting Corps. Din remembered the first time he’d walked into the mess hall with its high ceiling amplifying the overwhelming noise of conversation and laughter from trainees and recruits as they shared meals or socialized. The spartan quarters he shared with his _buir_ and the long conversations they’d had there on tracking and hunting, skills of the _beroya_. And the large grey stone practice rooms where he had learned to fight with fists, knives, and all manner of other weapons.

He had always been a bit too introverted to be comfortable in the loud mess. And as much as his _buir_ had shown him love and support, Din would never allow himself to become too attached to the man out of the fear that he would be lost to him the same way his parents had been. The practice rooms were where his intense focus and determination had paid off. His hard work had changed disappointed head shakes to approving nods as he learned to use his strength and flexibility to bring down far larger opponents. Din’s quiet nature and disinterest in relationships hadn’t mattered there, only his commitment to improve. More than one of the older trainees who had picked a fight with the small dark-haired boy outside the practice rooms found themselves regretting it as the helpless child grew into a steely-eyed and skilled fighter. It felt right to base his shields on the fortress and those practice rooms. They were the first place he had truly felt comfortable in his own skin, and the place where he had learned to fight back. He stood and scattered the ashes of the fire with his boot before heading to close up the ship for the night and finally eat his own meal, his mind still deep in memory.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pateesa - friend (Huttese)  
> Ori’vod - big sister (Mando’a)  
> Alor - leader (Mando’a)  
> Bral - hill fort/fortress (Mando’a)  
> Buir - parents (Mando’a)  
> Beroya - bounty hunter (Mando’a)  
> This was a monster of a chapter but it just didn’t feel right splitting it up. And as @futurePOTUS reminded me, when have you ever heard someone complain about a fic chapter being too long?  
> Eternal thanks to @futurePOTUS and @Shugga-T for ensuring that y’all don’t get incoherent trash.


	5. Mar'eyie - (v) to discover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kid meets somebody, Tali learns something new, and Din has a really rough day.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, this is getting significantly deeper than I had originally planned. Which is cool, but also means a lot more angst and work in writing it, hence the late posting. Hope you enjoy.

It was an unspoken decision to camp on the plateau for a while, in the hope that any other bounty hunters on the planet would have moved on in their search for the kid. Tali worked with both Din and the kid on strengthening their shields, and began teaching the Mandalorian how to close his mind to the kid’s emotional swings by erecting his shields. With practice, the _ad’ika_ would learn to ask permission before projecting or trying to enter his mind, which reinforced Tali’s work with the kid on boundaries and appropriate uses of his abilities. 

Din continued teaching Tali to defend herself. Her emotions, usually so guarded , were shown openly when she focused. Her eyebrows came together and a small frown came over her face as she paid careful attention to his critiques of her form and movements. He continued to hold back significantly during their sparring sessions, concerned about using anything approaching his full strength. That ended when she got the drop on him one afternoon in a quick move, and informed him primly that she was far from a fragile flower and he was doing her no favors by holding back. Grinning under his helmet, he’d twisted out of the hold and agreed. He'd brought out a blaster late in the first week and was relieved to see she could manage herself fairly well with it. She wasn’t going to be taking down anyone twice her size with her hands alone but at least she was decent enough with a blaster. 

About halfway through yet another humid morning, Din was biting into an icress fruit when the light on the holocom in the cockpit began to blink a soft blue, indicating a new recorded message. Swallowing quickly, he coded in the sequence to bring it up, and a hologram of a Quarren blinked into view. 

_“Mando, got your message. Glad you’re still clanking around out there. I’d be happy to help. Send me a wave and my resources are at your disposal.”_ His voice was reedy but warm.

Din finished off the icress quickly and replaced his helmet. He heard Tali and the kid walk into the ship as he did, a light jangle from the strings of her instrument as she replaced it in the case. A few moments later she knocked on the rungs of the ladder.  
  
“Are you….decent? Or, whatever you’d call it?” There was a teasing tone in her voice but he appreciated the considerate gesture anyway. 

“Come on up.” 

A few moments later the kid’s ears popped up over the hatch opening, followed closely by Tali’s head. The kid clutched at her hair from his perch on her shoulder, looking pleased to be up so high. 

“So what’s today?” She asked as she settled herself in the co-pilot’s seat. “I think he’s pretty much exhausted everything easily walkable here, unless you’re comfortable with us going a bit further.”

“Actually, I may have something on the kid’s family.” He said, turning in his chair. Tali’s eyebrows shot up in interest and he continued. 

“I worked a job a few years back as an escort for some academic through Hutt space. Not my usual but the job paid well. Guy had boxes of old scrolls he’d gotten from a temple on some Outer Rim planet that drew heat from some of the wrong people. I helped him get out of a tight spot with his research intact. He’s helped me out on a few other jobs when I’ve needed information. He’s got a good hook in the underworld, and has a way of getting info quickly.” 

He turned back to the holocom. 

“Just stay quiet, I don’t want him to see the kid.” 

The Quarren’s face popped up a few moments later, spectacled eyes massive for a moment before he backed up from the comm on his side. 

“Jhoren. Thanks for getting back to me.” Din said, his tone politely neutral.

“Anything for my favorite bounty hunter. What’d you need this time? Information on smuggling routes through the Xemol system? Power structure for the Zann Consortium?” The Quarrel said, finishing with a burbling chuckle. 

“Looking for information on a species. About knee-high, very long life-span, and green.” Din replied. 

A thoughtful expression came over the Quarren’s face and one of his mouth tentacles came up to scratch the side of his head. 

“Picked up an unusual bounty puck, Mando?” 

“Something like that.” The Mandalorian's tone made it clear he wasn't interested in sharing more details. 

“Hmmm,” Jhoren’s gaze moved away from the holocom to squint at a data screen behind him, clicking sounds echoing tinnily across the connection, “Looks like there are a few species that could fit varying parts of that description at least. I can transmit you coordinates for planets that have got moderate matches. Is there anything else you can give me to work from? More detail will help me narrow my search parameters.” 

“Eats frogs.” Din replied. Tali tilted her head slightly, her brow furrowing in confusion. 

Jhoren laughed. 

“Alright, I’ll see what I can do. I should have something over to you soon.” 

“Thank you.” Din said. Tali waited until the hologram had gone dark to speak. 

“Why didn’t you say anything about Kou being Force-sensitive? Wouldn’t that help the search?” 

“Jhoren’s linked closely enough with the underworld that he may have heard something and could put two and two together. I trust the guy enough to get intel from him. I don’t trust him not to tip anyone off about the kid if there’s a reward involved.” Din replied, turning his chair away from the console. 

He stood, running a hand over one of the kid’s ears as he passed them on his way to the ladder. 

“We should pack up. I want to be ready to leave when the intel comes through.” 

It didn’t take long to collect their belongings, although Din still marveled at how widely they’d managed to scatter them. Whether that was due to the kid’s new habit of rehoming tools and other small items, or just because he himself was unused to staying in any one place long enough to spread out, he combed the clearing carefully to ensure they weren’t leaving anything behind. As he finished checking around the roots of one of the larger trees, a beep from his vambrace indicated an incoming message. 

He swept the kid up before he could disappear into the bushes again and turned to head back into the ship. Tali was already inside, organizing her bedding back on the bunk. 

“Got the coordinates from Jhoren, I’m going to close up the ship.” He maneuvered up the ladder smoothly, the balance of the child in one arm and the ladder rungs in the other hand second-nature to him by this point. 

“Alright, I’ll be up in a minute.” She said, straightening an intricately shaped leaf she’d brought inside on the shelf with her other belongings. 

In the cockpit, Din settled the kid on his lap and opened the message. A short text file popped up with the subject _Short, long-lived, green, frogs_ , followed by two sets of coordinates.

“That was quick.” Tali said, plopping herself down in the co-pilot’s chair with a sigh as Din plugged the first set of coordinates into the nav comp to check its distance from them.

“Like I said, he’s got a way of getting info quickly. That first one is at least 15 standard hours of hyperspace travel from us,” Din paused as he input the other set of coordinates, “Second one, Eania, is only a few hours away. We can start there.” 

Din locked in the course for Eania and leaned back in the chair. The kid yawned from his spot on his lap, signaling the end of his most recent attempt to touch every button within reach. 

“You want me to put him in his pod to sleep?” Tali asked. Looking down, Din felt something enormously comforting in the warm weight of the _ad’ika_ and he shook his head. 

“No, he’s alright now that he’s stopped making trouble. I won’t need both hands for a few hours.” 

“Little guy tuckered himself out running around out there this morning.” She said, an easy smile forming as she watched the heavily armored man cradle the tiny form. 

“It’s been good for him to have something normal. We haven’t really had a lot of opportunities for it.” Din replied. 

“What will you do if these turn out to actually be his people?” Tali asked. 

“The _alor_ of my tribe, our Armorer, tasked me to either raise him as my son or return him to his own kind. If we find his family…” His voice trailed off as he watched the closed eyelids and softly twitching ears. 

He hadn’t really stopped to think that much about what would happen if he found the kid’s family. There hadn’t been time in the constant sprint to stay one step ahead of the hunters, and even after Nevarro, his search had been more a meandering path of randomly chosen worlds than a strategic search. _But you knew this moment would likely come sometime, didn’t you?_ He imagined handing the warm weight of the kid off to a faceless entity and walking back to his old life, and steel bands snapped tight across his chest.

“Actually, I’m gonna take him down to the pod.” Din managed before he lurched to the ladder and made his way down without falling or jostling the kid too much. He could barely hear Tali’s concerned question over the rush of blood in his ears and Armorer’s words echoing like the blaring of an alarm, impossible to push away. 

_Until it is of age or reunited with its own kind, you are as its father_. 

He stumbled to his bunk and sat heavily, barely remembering to hit the panel release to close and lock the door with a shaking hand before ripping his helmet off. His heart pounded and his vision greyed. The normally comforting weight of beskar on his chest was now a weight keeping him from getting any air. 

_...reunited with its own kind…_

Bile rose in Din’s throat as he ran a trembling hand across his face before a soft sound brought his gaze back down. The kid was awake and was looking up at him with worried eyes, claws curled around the bottom of his chestplate. 

“Sorry,” he said hoarsely, barely able to get the words out past numb lips, “Sorry, _ad’ika_. It’s okay.” He tried to take slow breaths but a wave of dizziness came over him as the walls of the narrow bunk seemed to tighten around him. Din closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the wall, the cool metal biting against his tingling, too-hot skin. 

_Breathe….In through the nose, out through the mouth._ He forced himself to push past the dizziness, focusing solely on the movement of air into and out of his lungs. He could only pull in shallow breaths but kept the action slow and steady. 

Din felt tiny pinpricks on his cheek and opened his eyes to see the kid stretching as high as he could to place his hands on Din’s face, his ears drooping. At the same moment, he felt the kid pressing lightly against his mind. Letting his shields drop he felt warmth and concern flood his consciousness, comforting and familiar. 

Din picked up the kid and brought him to rest against his shoulder, head tucked into the cushioned space between his pauldron and neck. His stomach still churned but the dizziness and tingling were fading and he could no longer hear his blood pounding in his ears. Rubbing the kid’s back, he murmured softly to him. 

“ _Gar b’ad’ika_. _Ni kar’taylir tome ti gar, be’chaaj ra gebi._ "

_You are my child. My heart is together with you, whether I am far away or near._

Din pressed his cheek to the soft head and took a deep breath, filling his lungs at last. He didn’t know how long they sat like that but eventually the kid’s consciousness slipped back into the quiet peace of sleep. He felt drained, as if he’d fought the mudhorn again. Din debated dragging himself back up to the cockpit, but disdain at the idea of gathering the strength to move and disturbing the kid quickly put paid to that. 

_Just for a bit_ , he thought, as his eyelids slipped shut. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

He jerked awake with the sound of a light knock outside the panel door. 

“ _Murishani_?” Tali said from the other side of the panel, “sorry to bother you but I think we’re getting close.” 

He heard her footsteps move away again. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he sat up and let out an involuntary groan as he peeled his shoulder away from the wall. The impromptu nap had been more than necessary, but his position slumped against the wall hadn’t done his back any favors. _Issik’s teeth,_ _I’m getting too old for this_ , he thought as he stretched in the small space. 

The kid was awake again, eyes bright as he looked at his guardian’s uncovered face. For reasons he couldn’t fathom, the kid seemed to love seeing his face. With Tali on the ship, Din had been forced to keep his helmet on more frequently than he had the previous few months, and he spent another few minutes speaking quietly to the _ad’ika_ and stretching before he put the helmet back on and hit the release for the panel door. 

He re-entered the cockpit a few minutes before they entered Eania’s atmosphere. Tali was sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, wrapped in her yellow and grey scarf and reading text on a data-pad. She looked up quickly when he entered, her expression worried. 

“You okay?” 

“Just needed some sleep.” Din replied and was relieved when she didn’t press him further, though he could feel her gaze on his back. 

As they came in for a landing outside the closest settlement, he looked over the landscape. The planet was arid, with few trees but what looked like scrub brush covering its rocky terrain. The settlement was a medium-sized town that, while lacking a spaceport, seemed to have enough permanent buildings to equate to some form of civilization. 

The kid rode Tali’s shoulder down to the main bay again, having identified it as his new preferred spot, and Din climbed down behind them. Rather than continuing to the main hatch however, he detoured to open the weapons locker and scanned the racks for a moment before choosing one. Turning, he held a small blaster out to Tali. 

“This should fit your hand. Keep it with you.” 

“But you’ll be with us the whole time, right?” She took the kid off her shoulder and put him down on the deck. 

“That’s the plan, but I’d prefer if you’re armed, just in case.” 

Tali looked at the weapon and then down at the bright-eyed kid at her feet. She exhaled shortly through her nose before looking back up at Din. 

“You got an extra holster? Because there’s no way I’m shoving that thing down the back of my pants and ending up one ass-cheek short.” 

Din snorted and dug through the weapons locker, returning with a belt holster. 

“Might be a little big but we can adjust it.” 

She fastened the slightly too large belt around her hips and tightened the thigh strap, pulling the fabric of her trousers tight against her leg. 

“It’ll do for now.” Tali said, taking the blaster from him and sliding it into the holster. 

She held herself differently with the weapon on, her shoulders back slightly and her gaze more focused. She seemed more on alert, but not uncomfortably so. _She looks good like this_ , Din thought, glad that the helmet hid his lingering gaze. He told himself he was just looking at the placement of the weapon and not the strong curves of her body.

Leaving the ship, they could see square tops of buildings denoting the settlement less than a click away and the ground was fairly easy to navigate on foot. As they walked, the child wandered back and forth across the path to investigate whatever caught his eye. Tali made the occasional mundane comment but otherwise there was silence outside their footsteps and the wind. Din was used to silence, even preferred the safety and privacy it allowed, but knew that it built tension in most beings. Tali seemed content to let it fill the spaces between her comments and instead let her eyes track the rocky landscape with interest. 

Seeing no sign of anything small or green in the main settlement, Tali stopped a man walking opposite them to ask. 

“Yeah, the froggy-lookin ones? Dretholans?” The man said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder, “You want the other side of town. They mostly keep to themselves. ‘Course, nobody can stand listening to ‘em talk, so that’s fine by us.” 

Din’s heart rose into his throat when he saw a series of low buildings built just outside the boundaries of the town. 

The first thing he thought when one of the Dretholans walked out of one of the buildings was that it had _no ears_. It was knee-high, green, and undeniably amphibian in nature, but that’s where the similarity to the kid ended. As a few more came around a corner, talking amongst themselves in guttural tones, he felt a burst of relief hit him like a shot of glitterstim. Guilt at his relief to not have found the kid’s family came on its heels, but he pushed it aside as Tali spoke. 

“They’re….frogs. Large, talking frogs.” Tali said, her tone both baffled and amused. 

Din let out the sigh that was usually reserved for when the kid was being particularly frustrating. 

“ _Di’kut_ scroll-sniffing...” his voice lowered but she could hear a string of colorful descriptions of Jhoren in both Basic and some other language under his breath. 

Tali couldn’t help but laugh, and once she started she found herself doubled over, arms wrapped around her stomach as she gasped.

“You said...you said this guy was your normal lead for information?” She asked breathlessly, wiping tears from her eyes, “How does a guy like that survive in the underworld? And how do you ever find your quarries?” 

“He’s not usually this…” he gestured helplessly with one hand towards the still chattering amphibians as Tali broke out into a fit of giggles. 

“Well, that was a bust,” she said, “but given how many species there are in the galaxy I guess it was kind of hit or miss from the start. Let’s go check out that market we walked past, I thought I saw some mala fruit there.” 

“You didn’t have enough the past few weeks?” Din teased. Tali had displayed a near-obsession with the wide variety of fruits that grew wild on Dandoran, going so far as to pass up the rations provided by Maz in favor of them. 

“Look, just because _some people_ prefer their vegetables and fruits freeze-dried doesn’t mean we all do.” Tali’s offended tone and eye roll was somewhat ruined by her grin as they trekked back through the town. 

The market was busy and loud with the chatter of conversations in multiple languages, laughter, and music. The kid squawked in protest as Tali picked him up and she shushed him as she wrapped him in her scarf, tied it to form a sling across her torso. 

“I know, you want to keep exploring but there’s a lot of people here and I don’t want you to get stepped on, little guy. Besides, you’ll be able to see better like this.” The kid settled with moderately good grace into the sling, dark eyes wide as he took in the colorful scene.

They wandered along the market road until Tali found the fruit stand. Din stepped up beside her as she picked up a mala fruit. 

“There’s a man following us.” He said quietly. Tali immediately froze, the fruit halfway to her nose. 

“Where?” She asked under her breath, scanning the patrons of the surrounding stalls but seeing no one paying them any attention. 

He tilted his helmet down slightly so she could catch his words over the surrounding chatter.

“Two stalls back, on our right.” 

Putting the fruit back, Tali twitched the material of her scarf to cover the kid’s head so just the tip of one ear poked out and moved a bit closer to the reassuring bulk of the Mandalorian. She started to turn to look for the man but Din put a hand on her lower back, keeping her facing forward.

“Don’t. You’ll give away that we’ve spotted him.” He kept his hand on her as he steered her to the left at the next junction and spoke quietly. 

“Head for the ship. I’ll circle back and take care of it.”

“Are you sure we shou--?” 

I’ll be right behind you.” He said, his cape fluttering as he turned away from her and moved into the shadows of a large produce tent. 

Tali quickened her pace as she exited the side of the market, following the beaten dirt path back towards the _Razor Crest_. Unable to resist, she turned her head to peek over her shoulder and found the man the bounty hunter had been referring to. He had his head down, and was elderly but clearly built powerfully. He had a thick white moustache and wore a black cap and an old green jacket. A moment later she saw a flash of silver armor and the man was dragged off the path and into the low scrub. Following suite, she darted in amongst the rocks to make her way back to them, the Mandalorian’s low voice becoming audible as she approached. 

“...following us. Who sent you?” 

He had the man by the throat against a boulder with his feet barely touching the ground and was digging a hand through the pockets of his jacket as he questioned him. The man held his hands out from his sides as Din pulled an antiquated blaster from the man’s jacket and tucked it into his own belt. 

“I just...saw the child.” The man wheezed. The Mandalorian growled and his grip tightened as his other hand went for his blaster. 

Tali reached out to the man’s mind, her touch feather light, and combed through the thoughts at the forefront of his psyche. When she saw the images in his memory she put a hand out to stop the partially drawn blaster. 

“ _Murishani_ , wait. He’s not a hunter. He’s seen someone like Kou- _nyee_ before.” 

Din turned his head sharply to her before looking back at the man, who was slowly turning slightly red, his hands held up in a pacifying gesture. The Mandalorian loosened his grip enough on the man’s throat to let him speak. When he did his voice was hoarse, as if he didn’t speak often, and the hint of an accent shaped his words in broad vowels. 

“My apologies for following you. Seeing your little one I thought I’d seen a ghost from another life.” Throwing caution to the wind and trusting what she had seen at the front of the man’s mind, Tali slid the scarf down enough that the kid’s big eyes showed over it’s fringe. 

“This isn’t the first one you’ve seen of this species, is it?” She said, stepping closer. The man shook his head, his gaze incredulous and sad in the same moment. 

“It’s been many years since I last saw Grand Master Yoda, but there’s no doubt in my mind that they are the same species.” As he spoke the man’s gaze moved from the kid to meet Tali’s eyes, and she saw no lie in it. 

She put a hand on the bounty hunter’s arm, urging him to let the man loose. Din’s grip opened reluctantly but he stepped back, reholstering his blaster. 

“Who are you?” Tali asked. 

“My name is Rex, but in another life I was CT-7567, a clone soldier serving under Commander Skywalker in the 501st Legion of the Republic Army.” 

Tali sucked in a shocked breath and took a step back. 

“You were a stormtrooper.” The moment she said it, the old man was shaking his head, denial strong in his response.

“No. I was a _clone_ trooper. Before the Empire took over, we troopers were created to fight the Separatist droid armies. And we fought under the leadership of the Jedi.” 

“And this Master Yoda. He was a Jedi?” Din asked.

“Yoda was the most powerful Jedi of them all, the leader of the Jedi Council.” Rex looked from Tali to Din. 

“Please. I believe we have much to discuss. My home isn’t far.” He said, his tone imploring. 

Tali looked at Din, leaving the decision up to him. His gaze didn’t stir from the man as he deliberated. Finally he shifted his weight back onto his heels. 

“Fine. But stay away from her and the child. And keep your hands where I can see them.” 

Rex nodded and motioned them back towards the path. Din inserted himself between the man and Tali and the kid, deeply uncomfortable with the situation. At least Rex had been telling the truth, they hadn’t been walking for more than a few minutes before he turned into a small stone house off the main trail. At first glance the place looked old and roughshod, but Din’s experienced eyes picked out several hidden security features around the structure. Stepping inside, his HUD automatically adjusted to the semi-lit room, a combination of living room and kitchen with a table and several chairs in the center. The space was neat, almost militaristic in its organization and cleanliness. 

“Would you like something to drink?” Rex asked, but Din interrupted before Tali could speak. 

“You said you had information for us.” 

Rex looked over at him and nodded once before gesturing to Tali to sit at the table. She slid into one of the chairs, one hand idly scratching the kid’s head. The kid was for once behaving himself, although his eyes followed the old clone trooper closely as he pulled off his worn jacket and sat across from Tali, hands clasped in front of him on the smooth wooden table. Din remained standing, his posture relaxed. As Tali noticed Din standing guard she allowed herself to relax. She lost herself for a moment as she tried to remember the last time someone’s presence had made her feel safe before she was pulled back to reality as the man before her cleared his throat. 

“How much do you know about the fall of the Jedi, and the takeover of the Empire?” Rex asked, his dark gaze steady under bushy eyebrows. 

“I know that the Jedi were massacred by storm troopers, and that those same troopers helped bring the Emperor to power and helped him keep it at the expense of millions of lives.” Tali said, her tone slightly accusatory. 

“The first ones had no choice. Not with the chips.” 

“Chips?” Tali asked, her brow furrowing. 

“Yes. Another clone trooper, a good friend of mine, discovered some months before the Empire rose that all clones had been implanted with inhibitor chips, sanctioned by the Chancellor. When the Chancellor activated them during the Siege of Mandalore, the troopers were not physically able to disobey any direct orders from him. I only escaped because I had had my chip removed, thanks to my friend’s warning. But there were only a few of us who were that lucky.” 

Tali saw Din go rigid when Rex mentioned the battle but the old man continued, shaking his grizzled head as a grieved expression came over his face. 

“The Jedi, our commanders and friends...for so many, the last thing they saw were their own men turning on them at the command of a Sith Lord. Good men and women who fought for freedom and justice in the galaxy.” 

“Freedom and justice? You make them sound like heroes. They were besieging a neutral planet. They killed thousands of Mandalorians,” Din’s voice was taut with cold fury as he took a step towards the man, “And you were there. Slaughtering my people.” 

Tali stood quickly and put a hand on Din’s chestplate. She could almost feel the anger rolling off him in waves. 

“The only ones we killed that day were those who had thrown their lot in with one of the Sith. They chose their side when they allied with a being of true evil. The Jedi fought to free Mandalore from Darth Maul’s rule and return it to the hands of the Mandalorians themselves.” Rex said, coming to his feet on the other side of the table. 

Tension in every line of his body, Din started towards Rex again. Tali turned fully towards him to place both hands on his chest, knowing she would never be able to hold him back if he truly wanted to get to the man. 

“Return it to the hands of Mandalorians? The same traitors who let the Empire take it from them a few years later, and finished the job the Jedi started?” Din spat, his voice acidic. Eyes hard, Rex opened his mouth to reply but Tali interrupted him.

“Stop it, both of you!” She twisted her head to glare at Rex, hands still planted on Din’s chestplate. “We’re not here for you two to argue about who killed who decades ago! The Empire committed genocide a hundred times over and manipulated thousands to get what they wanted from them.” The kid whimpered nervously from his place in the sling, looking from Din to Rex as they both glared daggers at the other. 

Rex sat slowly back down in his chair, his eyes still narrowed at the Mandalorian. Tali pushed on Din’s chest lightly until he straightened and turned back to the trooper, sitting gingerly back down in her chair. 

“You mentioned Darth Maul. He was a Sith lord, wasn’t he? The Jedi were sent there to capture him?” 

“To kill him,” Rex said, his voice hard. “A large part of General Kenobi and General Skywalker’s job when we fought under them was to hunt down the Sith and Force-users who fell to the darkness. Once they fell, there was nothing for it but to put them down like rabid akk dogs . Those that fall to the dark cannot be brought back. They bring only ruin and death wherever they go.” 

He continued, his voice bitter. 

“On that day, the Jedi were betrayed by one of their own. When the Chancellor took over, at least one of them showed his true colors and helped Palpatine take control. They say...they say that all the Jedi younglings were killed in the temple that day. Children. The Sith were ruthless in their destruction.” 

“You said Yoda was the leader of the Jedi. He didn’t..he wasn’t one of the Jedi who turned?” Tali asked, almost afraid of the answer. 

“No. If a Jedi as powerful as Yoda had fallen to the dark side...I cannot fathom the devastation he could have unleashed.” Tali could feel the dread that grew in the old clone as he envisioned that possibility, and shivered. 

Din felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he remembered the expression twisting the kid’s face as Cara gasped for air. 

“Did he survive the massacre?” Tali asked. 

“Yes, he survived it and the rule of the Empire. Luke Skywalker, General Skywalker’s son, trained with him before the Battle of Endor.” Rex said. 

“So, do you know where he is now?” Tali asked, feeling they were finally getting back on track. 

“Unfortunately, he was said to have died before the battle.” Rex said apologetically.

“What?” she whispered, “But, that was only six years ago.” _How could we have come so close?_

“I’m sorry. I’m sure that isn’t what you were hoping to hear.” He grimaced sympathetically before he spoke again, more hesitantly. 

“I have a question for you.” He said, his eyes focusing back on Tali. She raised her eyebrows in response. 

“Back there, there was someone in my mind. That was you, wasn’t it?” 

“Yes. I needed to know you weren’t hunting him.” While she didn’t apologize for her actions, her tone was contrite.

“You’re a Force-user. Why wouldn't you go to Master Skywalker’s school to train? Aren’t you concerned that you’ll be tempted by the dark side?” His voice was both curious and guarded. 

“I’ve...struggled...in the past, but I’ve always found my way to the light. Master Skywalker does important work, but it’s just not the right place for me.” She answered cautiously, looking away from him and down at the child.

“I understand. The New Republic does it’s best to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, but it’s far from perfect.” He replied, sitting back in his chair. 

“Perhaps,” Tali said noncommittally, “We should go. Thank you for sharing this with us. I’m sorry for…well. Good luck.” She stood and offered him a sad smile before turning to the door. 

“Mandalorian, my blaster?” Rex’s voice was civil but cold as he held out his hand. 

Din pulled the weapon from his belt and put it down on the table, ignoring the outstretched hand. As Tali passed him with the kid he put a hand on her back protectively, visor still fixed on Rex. 

Din hurried them back towards the ship, eager to get as far away as possible. The kid let out a plaintive whine, drawing their attention. His eyes were sad, ears pressed tightly back against his head. Tali rubbed a comforting hand over his scarf-padded back. 

“Sorry buddy, we’ll keep looking. He can’t have been the only other one of you.” She said softly. 

  
  


⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

_Maybe this is just the insomnia-bunk_ , Tali thought to herself, her chin propped on her fist as she lay on her stomach under the thin blanket. She’d attempted to sleep when the Mandalorian cut the lights to the ship a few hours before but it didn’t take long to realize that was a lost cause. Not that it was ever terribly easy for her to sleep with the dull hum of machinery rather than the sounds of insects or the wind, but this was something else. 

She couldn’t stop seeing the memories she had come across in Rex’s mind. They had been full of the sounds of battle, but had a security and a warmth to them that affirmed the clone trooper’s assertion of a close partnership with the Jedi. She could not imagine what he had gone through seeing his men’s minds enslaved and watching them turn on those they trusted. 

She turned her head as she heard the panel door to the Mandalorian’s bunk hiss as it opened and barely audible footsteps across the metal decking. 

“That you, _murishani_?” Tali called quietly from behind the blanket and started to sit up before a thought occurred to her, “You’ve got your bucket on, right?” 

“Yes.” Din replied, looking over as she slipped out of her bunk and padded over to sit down next to him on one of the larger crates on the bay floor. His form was a shadow outlined against the dim red lights of the cargo bay and she realized that while his helmet was in place his body appeared less bulky than usual; he wasn’t wearing his armor. She nudged him with her shoulder as she spoke quietly. 

“Can’t sleep?” 

“No.” 

She waited for him to continue but he said nothing, his helmeted gaze still focused on the closed cradle across the bay. Deciding that some prompting might be in order, she voiced her own thoughts out loud. 

“I can’t stop thinking about that Master Yoda. The kid could be related to him, you know.” 

Tali heard Din start to speak and then stop. She waited patiently, knowing by this point that the Mandalorian did not share his private thoughts easily. When he spoke his voice was hesitant. 

“What that clone said about the dark side and the Sith. About how they can’t be brought back. Is that true?” 

She leaned back on her hands. 

“I don’t know. I know that a lot of Force-users struggle with the temptation to embrace the dark side at some point or other. And once you start pulling from a place of anger or fear and feeling the power it can give you, it’s hard to step back from it. But I don’t know that there’s a point of no return for anyone.” Her voice was hesitant as she tried to find the right words.

“You told him that you’d struggled but had always found your way to the light. What did you mean by that?” As he asked the question, Tali closed her eyes. She’d hoped he hadn’t fixated on that comment. 

“I’ve done some things I’m not proud of. I think everyone has. I was lucky enough to have people around me that reminded me what was right and helped me feel less alone. Maz always said that every Force-user is probably tempted at some point or another to take the low road. Hearing that everyone goes through some version of that struggle made me feel like it wasn’t too late for me.” Her words skirted the truth, but she wasn’t ready to share that part of her with him. 

“Do you...do you think the kid could be tempted? By the dark side?” He said finally, an edge of vulnerability in his voice that made Tali sit up and shift closer to him in comfort. Her arm pressed against his, the warmth of his skin through the base layer making her shiver in contrast to the chilly air of the ship. 

“I think it’s possible,” she said, feeling him turn to look at her as she did. “Has he ever used the Force out of fear or anger?” 

“He tried to choke someone he thought was hurting me. A friend.” 

Tali made a small noise of surprise at that and let out a deep exhale. 

“What did you do, when he did that?” She asked. 

“I stopped him and I told him she was a friend.” 

Tali chewed her lip as she tried to choose the right words. 

“It's a lot easier to act from a place of fear or anger than it is to show compassion or tolerance. And kids especially tend to react without thinking, just going off their emotions in that moment. 

I get that it had to be disturbing to see, and worrying, but...I don’t that’s any indication that he’s in danger of falling to the dark side. Walking in the light doesn’t mean that you never feel anger or fear; it means that you feel it, acknowledge it, and let it pass through you without allowing it to guide your actions. And from what you said, it sounds like he was trying to protect you, right?” 

He hummed in acknowledgement and she continued.

“Honestly, I think you’re doing everything you can to keep him on track. You’re teaching him how to control his abilities and how to respect others’ boundaries, and you disciplined him when he crossed them.” 

“Doesn’t seem like much.” He said, a sigh escaping him. 

“Well, you’re also giving him something that’s just as important as training, maybe more. You take good care of him and protect him. I don’t need to see your face to know that you love him, and I’m sure he knows that.” She kept her voice light as she said the last bit, as if the words themselves would spook him. He shifted uncomfortably on the crate next to her but didn’t deny it. Trying to ease the tension, she changed the subject. 

“Is it...is it common for Mandalorians to adopt kids?” 

Din straightened as he sat up. As he did, it was impossible to avoid noticing how broad his shoulders were even without their usual beskar covering. 

“Extremely. Foundlings are the future. Literally. Most of the clans would probably have died out if they hadn’t taken in war orphans or abandoned kids. Species and gender doesn’t matter to us. _Aliit ori’shya tal’din_ ; family is more than blood.” 

“Clans? I didn’t realize there were so many of you,” She paused here as something occurred to her, “Is this okay to ask about? I don’t want to cross any lines.” 

“We’re allowed to talk about it, it’s just that nobody’s ever really asked. Most people don’t look past the armor. There used to be a lot more of us but during the war…” He shook his head, the pain in his voice palpable. 

“Are foundlings raised the same as kids that’re born Mandalorian?” Tali asked, eager to satisfy her curiosity now that she knew she wasn’t being rude. 

“No one is born Mandalorian,” Din replied, “Clan-borns go through the same training as foundlings, they swear the same Creed, and live by the same tenets of the _Resol’nare_. Although clan-borns have a leg up, since they’ve heard the language and the customs their whole lives rather than having to learn it all later.” 

Tali got the impression there was more he wasn’t saying but didn’t pry into it. 

“The _Resol_ \--the what?”

“ _Resol’nare_. The six tenets that make one Mandalorian. Wearing armor, speaking Mando’a, defending your family, raising your children as Mandalorians, supporting your clan, and responding to the call of other Mandalorians.” His words had a rote quality to them, as if they were ingrained in his mind. 

“Mando’a? Is that the language you speak to the kid in sometimes?” She asked, and Din nodded. 

“Since the Purge, we only speak it when outsiders aren’t around. We can’t risk others learning it and using it to find us. I’ve been trying to speak it to him when I can, but I don’t remember as much as I used to.” 

He paused for a moment, before saying much more quietly, “There’s not that many of us left to speak it with now.” 

“Is that why you don’t take your helmets off? To keep outsiders from seeing your faces?” 

“This is the Way.” Din responded, as if this explained the situation entirely. 

“...does that mean that kids never see their parents' faces?” Tali knew she was treading a delicate line between being politely curious and being nosy. 

“No,” Din said, although his voice was unsure, “Technically we’re allowed to remove our helmets around direct kin; children or a spouse.” 

“I guess that answers my question about how you guys would make baby Mandalorians.” she heard him huff out a laugh next to her and pressed a bit closer, for entirely selfish reasons. He didn’t lean away though and she felt the edge of his hand press against hers. She told herself it was completely ridiculous to feel her heart rate pick up and her stomach tighten from just that small skin contact, but remembering that first disastrous shield lesson she knew how much trust he was showing in her by allowing it. He interrupted her thoughts. 

“I was a foundling.” She waited with bated breath for him to continue, the warmth of his fingers against hers blazing. 

“My parents were killed in a Separatist droid attack during the Clone Wars. The Mandalorians took me in, raised me, trained me. I took the Creed when I came of age and that’s been my life since.” His voice was low and rasping, as if the words were physically painful to move past his lips. 

She wondered how many other people in the galaxy had heard these words from him whispered in the darkness.

“I lost my mother and father and brother; I understand how loss can mark you,” She said, turning her head to where she thought his gaze would be, “Maz always said that the energy of those who came before us returns to the Force when they die, to the collective energy of the universe. Just because they’re gone doesn’t mean they’re lost to us.” 

Din nodded slightly, barely visible in the dim light. 

“There’s a similar phrase in Mando’a. _Ni su-cuyi, gar kyr’adyc, ni partayli, gar darasuum_. I am still alive, but you are dead. I remember you, so you are eternal.” He said, the harsh consonants of the language softened by his hushed voice. 

“Thank you. For sharing that with me.” Tali moved her hand to cover his and squeezed lightly, letting it rest there for another moment. Her breath caught in the back of her throat as she felt his thumb sweep up over hers. They sat there for several long quiet minutes, relishing the comfortable silence between them. When the Mandalorian eventually pulled his hand gently from hers with a final squeeze, she stood and made her way back to her bunk, leaving him to his thoughts. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

“I’ve been thinking.” 

Din looked up from the partially disassembled blaster spread over the table to see Tali standing a few feet away, her arms folded loosely. 

“About what?” 

She tapped her index finger against her bicep in thought. 

“Your Armorer told you that you had to either find the kid’s family or raise him yourself, right?” 

“Yes.” 

“There’s gotta be a better way to figure it out than just planet-hopping. Or relying on tips from a shady academic.” 

“You got any better ideas?” He said, putting down the firing mechanism as he sat up. 

“Given how powerful he is and what Rex said about Master Yoda, I think there’s a good bet that his species is naturally Force-sensitive. And if that’s true, then there’s got to be records of them.” 

“And where are we going to find these records?” His tone was that particular one of his that said _I don’t like where this is going but I’m willing to hear it out_.

She took a deep breath and tightened her arms slightly before speaking. 

“The Jedi Archives on Coruscant might be a good place to start.” 

Din’s helmet drew back in surprise before he shook his head. 

“Bad idea. There are still a lot of Imp sympathizers on Coruscant and someone, likely an Imp, still sending hunters after the kid. I don’t want him on the radar of the New Republic either. Taking the kid out in public there would be too risky.” 

“True. But nobody’s looking for me. If you can get us there, I can go to the Archives and try to find something to help us and you can stay on the ship to guard the kid.” Tali let her arms drop to her sides as she spoke. 

“Still no. They could get a hit on us just sitting in the space port.” 

Even as he said it, his mind was already working through how they could land under the radar and lock the ship down while Tali visited the Archives. Tali paced forward to sit close in front of him, her gaze fixed on his visor as if she could convince him of the idea’s efficacy with eye contact alone. 

“Think about it,” She said, her voice painting an enticing picture, “We haven’t explored one one-hundredth of the possible planets his species could be from. And the Jedi Archives have just been restored, they’re supposed to have even added information that was lost on other worlds before the war, and much more than we’ve got through the Holonet. There’s got to be something there.” 

The idea was a tempting one. Searching a maintained database instead of randomly guessing or going by rumors here or there. _Worst case scenario, there’s nothing useful and we book it off world and back to the Outer Rim quickly_.

“Maybe,” Din said, holding up a hand at her excited grin, “but we’d have to figure out logistics. And you’re not going anywhere without some backup.” 

“Backup? Are you forgetting the whole make-people-crazy-with-space-magic thing?” 

“No, but you’ve said yourself that only works if you can get skin contact. You’re not used to using a blaster regularly, and you’re not good enough hand-to-hand yet to have a chance against anybody who knows what they’re doing.” 

At that, Tali frowned, looking slightly insulted. 

“I thought you said I was getting better!” 

“Yes, better. You’re not terrible, but there’s no reason to take unnecessary risks.” He said, a cautious note in his voice. 

“Fine,” she said, rolling her eyes slightly, “Where’re we going to find backup then?” 

He stood and shifted to try and ease the ache in his lower back. _Looks like it’s about to get even more crowded around here._ He sighed and headed to the cockpit ladder, throwing his answer over his shoulder as he did. 

“Nevarro.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guessed it, Cara’s joining the crew for the next few chapters.  
> Was that a Merry/Pippin/Gandalf/Faramir situation I worked into this chapter? Yes, yes it was.


	6. Jahaatir - (v) to lie, to deceive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tali meets Cara, the kid gets a bath, Din receives a gift, and the best laid plans are made.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your comments guys, they spark an awful lot of joy :)

"Who builds a town on a ball of slightly crusty lava? Whose genius idea was that?" Tali grumbled, gesturing at the black and grey landscape. 

“At least the planet’s stable. I once ran down a bounty on a world with groundquakes every few days. Felt like the whole place was about to come apart at the seams.” Din grinned at her indignation.

The _ad'ika_ ’s pod floated at his side as lava stone crunched under their feet, although the top was closed. Cara had assured him that the Imps had fled with Gideon’s disappearance but he wasn’t taking any chances. 

Tali stumbled over the uneven ground and Din put a hand out to steady her. She muttered an embarrassed thanks but made no move to dislodge his hand when he kept it on her arm longer than necessary.

Din had become slowly accustomed to the physical contact of the kid snuggling up with him at night or curling in his arm to nap. It was always calming and triggered a bone-deep instinct to protect him. Touching the small woman at his side was something completely different. The feel of Tali’s warm body flush against his side, touching from shoulder to hip, and her small fingers sliding over the bare skin of his hand had just ignited a greed in him to take more. 

He had removed his hand from hers sooner than he’d wanted to, not wishing to take advantage of what must’ve been intended as a comforting gesture. That night his dreams had been full of those teasing blue-grey eyes, her soft skin under his hands, and her body writhing under his, and he’d woken hard and aching. He shook his head slightly to banish the images as they entered the cantina. 

It had been rebuilt after the attack by Moff Gideon but was still in its essence a dive. The only real change was the presence of the very comfortable looking ex-shock trooper currently listening to a Klatoonian. Her gaze came up to meet Din’s and a grin came over her face. 

“Look, it’s nothing personal. I just don’t have time to listen to this right now,” she said to the hunter, “You know the rules. Pull something like that again and you’re out of the Guild.” 

She swung out of the booth, ignoring the stuttering response, and met Din halfway across the room. Her smile was warm and genuine as she looked him up and down. 

“You look like you’re all in one piece. Surprisingly.” 

“It’s been a fairly quiet few months, actually.” Cara noticed Tali and raised her eyebrows. 

“Cara, this is Tali Osira. Tali, this is Cara Dune. She’s a former Rebel shock trooper who’s helped me out several tight spots.” 

Cara shook Tali’s offered hand, looking surprised. 

“You pick up a babysitter, Mando?” 

Tali snorted good-naturedly as they all slid into a booth. 

“She’s teaching the kid to control his powers.” 

“Huh. And how’s that going?” Cara asked. 

Din opened his mouth but Tali beat him to it. 

“They’re both improving, though the kid’s a faster learner. Hard to teach an old dog new tricks,” she shot a teasing smile at the Mandalorian and Cara laughed as Din sighed.

“Sounds like you’ve got your hands full.” Laying her arms across the back of the booth, Cara stretched her legs out under the table. “You said you needed backup for something. I can tell you right now, if it’s anything like the last time I may have to turn you down.” 

Din and Tali laid out the idea of the Archives. When they finished, she tilted her head thoughtfully. 

“Well, the plan seems pretty sound once you hit the upper levels. Coruscant turned into a real skughole after the Empire fell. Once the New Republic set up shop all the Imps slunk down to the lower levels, but then the politicians went and put Mas Amedda back in charge to try and win back some of the locals. Even without any real power, he’s still something for the Imps to rally around, especially after they decided to move the capital off-world.” 

“That’s why I’ll be staying on the ship, with the kid.” Din said, resting his arm on the table. “You and Tali will go to the Archives, get what information you can, and get back to the _Crest_ as quickly as possible. We stay under the radar, we may be able to get in and out without the Imps or the Republic being any the wiser. You in?” 

“Yeah,” Cara said slowly, surveying the cantina, “I guess I could take a break from cracking heads for a few days.”

“Thank you. I’ll feel better knowing she’s going in with solid backup.” Din said. They stood and Tali started moving towards the door. Cara snagged Din’s arm to hold him back momentarily, her voice low. 

“Heard a rumor the other day that somebody saw a Mando at the shipyards. Figured you’d want to know.” 

Din’s heart thudded once in his chest before he nodded and followed Tali out of the cantina and into the hazy sunlight. 

“I’m gonna grab my gear, I’ll meet you at the ship.” Cara said.

Din shifted in thought for a moment before turning to Tali. “Can you take the kid? I need to check on something.” 

“Of course.” Tali replied, shading her eyes as she looked up at him. 

He pried the electronic tether control for the pod from his vambrace. “I’ll be back soon. You know where the com is on the ship if anything happens.” 

It was strange to walk the familiar route through the bazaar and past the ragged curtain that hid the pathway to the sewers knowing the Covert was no longer there. The underground passages were silent in stark contrast to the rumble of low-pitched voices and children’s muffled laughter that had greeted him so many times before. His footsteps echoed as he moved down the corridors, his head on a constant swivel and his hand on his blaster. 

A glint of gold to his left was his only warning before a hammer came down towards his head, twisting aside at the last moment as he jerked back. The Armorer stepped out of the shadows, the tool held loosely at her side. 

“S _u cuy’gar,_ ” she said, her voice even and measured as always. 

“ _Su cuy’gar, alor_.” Din’s heart sank slightly as no other Mandalorians appeared behind her. “Cara Dune told me she’d heard news of a Mandalorian at the shipyards. I couldn’t leave without checking. Have you received any word?” 

“Yes. I received a transmission from those who made it off-world.” 

Din thought his legs might give out for a moment. “How many?” 

“Seven. The foundlings and two protectors.” 

“So few.” _Seven, out of a tribe of nearly twenty-five..._ He knew the protocol though; foundlings were evacuated with a few protectors, and the rest fought to the last. 

The gold helmet tilted slightly. “We knew the consequences of revealing ourselves. This is the Way.” 

‘Will you join them?” 

“Yes. I have collected the beskar that remained in the tunnels and have returned it to a form to be used again. All that remains is to ready the forge for transport.” 

“Do you need assistance?” He asked. 

“Where is your foundling?” She said, turning to walk down the corridor.

He followed her into the domed room that had housed the forge, a series of neatly wrapped crates now stacked in the center. “With a trusted ally on the surface. I wasn’t sure what I would find and didn’t want to put him in danger.” 

“I thought perhaps you had succeeded in finding his people.” 

“No, although I continue to search,” Din hesitated, “But I met another like him, a Force-user. She’s the ally I spoke of.” 

The Armorer shifted to face him. “You trust a Jedi with him?” Although her tone didn’t change Din got the impression she was raising her eyebrows at him. 

“She doesn’t align herself with the Jedi or the _dar'jetii_ , the Sith.” He replied. “She has been teaching him to control his abilities. And she’s been teaching me to shield my mind, from him and from others who would attempt to get to him through me. I trust her.” 

“Interesting.” 

“She had an idea that may help us find the _ad’ika_ ’s family more quickly. There was another of his species, a powerful Jedi. She believes the Jedi Archives on Coruscant may hold information on him and his people.” 

“So you will go to the heart of the enemy’s former stronghold.” She knelt by one of the unpacked boxes. “I had intended to preserve the remaining Whistling Birds for another opportunity, but you may have more need of them.” 

He laid his arm on top of the crate to allow her to carefully place the small cartridges into his vambrace. 

“Thank you. I’ll use them well.” 

“Once the new Covert is established, we will contact you.” 

“This is the Way.” 

“This is the Way.” 

Although the hallways were cold and dark, his heart felt lighter as he climbed the stone steps back to the surface for the last time. The forge would be relit, the Tribe would be rebuilt, and they would endure.

* * * * * * *

Feeling how dusty the kid’s robe was when she’d picked him out of his pod back on the ship,Tali had decided a bath was in order. She had no idea how the kid would respond to the water but almost as soon as she’d started filling the sink he’d perked up in anticipation. 

Tali tried to imagine the stoic Mandalorian giving the kid a bath in the tiny sink and grinned. Clearly he must’ve at least once, because when she pulled the filthy garment off the kid and lowered him into the sink he’d kicked delightedly, splashing water on her. She’d given up on keeping her shirt dry but had untied the leather band from her wrist and put it aside. 

As she gently scrubbed him, her thoughts turned to the subtle change she’d noticed in the Mandalorian after their late night conversation. Since then, he seemed to be more comfortable with her, almost intentionally standing close. He’d remained right next to her when he took the sleeping kid from her arms, and later he hadn’t waited for her to move out of the way before reaching over her head to grab a blanket from the kid’s shelf. In fact, his hand had settled on her shoulder to steady her when she jolted in surprise. And then when he’d turned his chair in the cockpit to talk to her during the trip through hyperspace, he hadn’t pulled back when the outside of his knee came to rest against hers. Tali wondered whether he enjoyed the closeness, given how rarely he probably had it with anyone outside the kid. 

An annoyed squeak and a small splash pulled Tali’s attention back to the kid. 

“Sorry, Kou- _nyee._ ” she said, bringing her cupped hands back up to spill water over his head. He hummed happily as it dripped off the tips of his ears and tried unsuccessfully to scoop some up in his small hands. 

Lifting the now clean child from the water, she wrapped him in a clean blanket and set him back in the pod. She gave the robe a quick scrub with the sliver of soap available, before laying it on top of the vents to dry. 

“Anyone here?” She heard Cara call from the main door and leaned back to see her peering around the frame. Cara continued into the ship, a large bag slung over her shoulder. 

“Mando back yet?” 

“Not yet,” Tali wiped her hands on her damp shirt, “He said he had to check something out. Shouldn’t be long though.” 

Cara dropped the bag on top of a storage crate and rolled her shoulder. 

She looked Tali over curiously. “So you’re a Jedi?” 

Tali let out an amused breath. “Definitely not. Just a Force-user.” 

“What’s the difference?” 

“I guess at their base all Jedi are Force-users, but not all Force-users are Jedi. Being a Jedi was like a religion. Way too many rules.” Tali wrinkled her nose but smiled before changing the subject. “You’re a shock-trooper?” She asked, winding the leather bracelet back around her wrist. 

“Former,” Cara replied, “Did the Rebellion thing for awhile and moved on to other jobs, including a few with Mando. Ended up here keeping Guild hunters in line for Karga.” As she spoke Din walked into the ship, pulling his rifle off his shoulder as he did. 

“How’s that going, by the way?” he asked. 

“Money’s good and there’s usually enough idiots making trouble to keep it interesting. Karga seems pleased.” Cara said with a satisfied smile. 

“I’m not surprised. A lot of amateurs out here.” Din said wryly as he stepped around the kid, who'd freed himself from the pod and now played on the deck with the blanket tented over his ears. "I’ll get us in the air and we can talk through the plan.” 

“Between a bath and some food, the little guy may actually give us three seconds of peace to put something together.” Tali said. 

“That’s all you,” Cara said, following Din up the ladder to the cockpit, “I don’t do the baby thing, even for that one.” Tali snorted.

Cara braced herself on the wall as Din initiated the startup sequence, hands moving automatically between the switches. 

“Karga took care of those clerical concerns with your chain code, right?” 

“Yeah, I shouldn't have a problem on the Core. Is your girlfriend going to have any issues?” Cara asked, smirking slightly.

“She shouldn’t, said she’d had it cleared a few years back. And she’s not my girlfriend.” 

“Whatever. It’s a good thing she had it cleared, New Republic hates Black Sun.” 

“She told you she’s had some run-ins with them?” He asked distractedly.

“Run-ins? That's what she told you?” Cara raises an eyebrow, her voice skeptical. 

Din straightened and looked back at her as the stars blurred into straight lines. “Why?” 

“She’s got a tattoo on her left arm. The kind they give high-level, valuable partners. Not the kind they give slaves or runners.” 

Remembering the leather band Tali kept wrapped around her left wrist, Din cursed. 

“You’re sure?” 

Cara held her hands up by her shoulders, palms forward. “Don’t take my word for it, ask her yourself.” 

He descended the ladder and stalked to where Tali was tearing bantha jerky into small pieces for the kid. Din scooped the child up and set him into the cradle before taking Tali’s left arm and turning it roughly over. She started and tried to jerk her arm from his grasp but his grip was like iron. 

“What are you doing?!” She asked, her voice panicked. Her eyes shot to Cara, who had followed him down from the cockpit and was now leaning against a tall cargo crate, arms crossed and face expressionless. 

“Where is it?” 

“What are you talking about?”. 

“The tattoo that marks you as a member of Black Sun. Where is it?” 

“I’m not with Black Sun!” 

Din reached for the leather wrap on her arm and she clapped a hand down to stop him, her eyes darting up to the beskar mask. His voice was dangerously quiet as he leaned in, visor only a few inches from her face. “Lie to me again and I’m throwing you in carbonite.” 

She wavered for a moment before unwinding the length of brown leather cord from her wrist. Under it was a solid black dot surrounded by a spiked circle, a standalone spike at the top and two small wedges to either side. Between the dot and the outer circle curved the words _azalus outmian_. 

Din turned to look at Cara, who shrugged as if to say _told you so_.

“This isn’t what it looks like.” Tali said, a pained look in her eyes. 

He turned back to her, his voice flat. “It looks like you lied to me about working for Black Sun. You’ve got about two minutes to explain.” 

Tali wrapped her right hand over the mark, her knuckles white as she pressed down hard.

“I wasn’t lying when I told you that my family was dead. My mother died when I was young, and my father was a mechanic at the local spaceport. That’s where I learned about ships.” She raised her eyes back to the bounty hunter but got no response from the black glass of his visor. “His shop got broken into one night. He heard the commotion and went out to stop them and…they killed him.”

Her shoulders slumped as she sat. 

“My brother Arek tried to keep the shop going for a while but he wasn’t the mech my dad was and we had to sell it. He used the last of what we got from selling the shop to buy passage on a freighter to Tatooine, he’d heard there was lots of work there. By the time he realized it was a desert wasteland run by gangs we didn’t have enough left to go anywhere else. Arek tried to find honest work but there isn’t exactly a lot of that on Tatooine.” 

Cara grunted at that but Din showed no reaction, his visor still fixed on Tali. 

“Wasn’t long before he got caught up with Black Sun, started doing jobs for them, and coming back drunk or high on Spice. He botched a smuggling job one night and panicked. Said they’d kill him when they found out, and I...I told him I could do the job. Who was going to look twice at a teenage girl hitching a ride with hydrator parts to her uncle on Scarif? Three hours later I was on my way out of the system with the cargo intact.” 

She let out a humorless laugh and shook her head. 

“It went perfectly, better than any of us could’ve hoped. Nobody asked any questions, nobody even looked twice. The local crew were all talking about how easy it’d been. I told Arek he had to stop working for them. I’d covered for him once but I’d already seen how easy it was for him to slip. And that’s when he told me about the gambling debt he’d racked up.” 

“Kriffing moron...” Cara intoned in a low voice. Tali continued, but her voice was harder now. 

“He told me we had to stay and pay it off. And the local guys were more than happy to have someone who could walk through a port without attracting attention. They used me for smuggling runs, thieving jobs, even a few bait and trap schemes. And somehow Arek could never get enough money to get out, no matter how many jobs we worked.”

“Then one night after a run to Corellia, Arek got drunk and told one of his partners that his little sister had this _gift_.” She gritted her teeth, anger bleeding into her words. “He told them I had this _ability_ to convince people to do things they didn’t want to. To move things without touching them. To read people’s minds. The guy ratted to the lieutenants, who weren’t stupid. They put two and two together pretty quickly.”

“The jobs they gave me changed after that. Instead of smuggling cargo past the port authority, they’d just have me implant false memories of approving the cargo in the authority’s mind. Or focus someone’s attention on an old grudge they had on some poor bastard Black Sun wanted out of the way at just the right moment in a brawl and let their emotions do the rest.” Her face twisted in disgust at her own actions. 

“Why didn’t you steal the money?” Cara asked, arms still folded over her chest. 

“Sorry?” Tali looked up at her, pulled from her memories.

“You said you could never get enough together to pay off your brother’s debts. Why didn’t you just steal the money?” 

Tali shook her head slowly. “After the higher-ups found out about my abilities, it wasn’t about money anymore. I tried to say no to the first couple jobs like that, but they made it pretty clear that if I refused to play along they’d take it out on my brother. They tattooed me around the same time. It wasn’t a sign of their trust. It was their way to remind me that I was their asset. That they controlled me.” Her eyes were haunted as she spoke.

“I hated myself for doing it. I hated Arek for taking us away from Dantooine and for getting us involved with Black Sun. For telling them about what I could do.” 

“Couple years went by and I didn’t see a way out without Arek. I still loved him, even after everything. He was the only thing I had left in the galaxy.” 

“He woke me up one night, real late, and brought me to one of the basements of the compound. There was a man tied to a chair there, barely conscious. They must’ve been beating and cutting on him for awhile. And the lieutenant looked at me with this awful grin on his face. Like he was excited. He said the guy was involved in a takeover planned for the syndicate, but he wasn’t talking.” As she spoke she saw it again, the moment etched into her memory in cold clarity. 

_The chill of the room, the man’s pained gasps, the too-hard grip of the lieutenant’s hand on her shoulder. His whisper in her ear, “He just needs a little help, sweetheart. Go in there and pull it out of him, hm? No need to keep it clean, either.”_

_In a haze of numbness and exhaustion, she reached out a hand to touch the man’s torn, bloody chest, and heard her father’s soft voice in the space of memory. “You can do so much good with these hands and your gift, Talise.”_

“In all that time working for them, all those jobs, I’d never intentionally hurt anyone. I’d gone out of my way to make my intrusions so light they couldn’t even be felt. And I’d never tortured anyone...I told him I wouldn’t do it, and he got right up in my face. Told me I could either do what he said or see my brother in the chair instead.” 

“I just sort of...snapped. I grabbed his hand on my shoulder and I...I pushed all my pain and rage and fear into his mind. Seven years worth of it. And it felt good to have him feel that fear I felt every day. He started screaming and the other guys were freaking out. Somebody started firing and...when I looked down again, Arek was dead.” 

Cara broke the silence that followed. 

“What’d you do afterwards?” She asked. 

Tali shrugged. 

“Snuck onto the first ship I could and passed out as soon as we broke atmo. Woke up to the first mate yelling at me to get my ass off his ship. I don’t even know what the planet we were on, just snuck onto another ship and kept moving. Did it a few times til I got caught and thrown out of the spaceport. Looked up and saw green for the first time in years. I thought maybe I’d died and gone home to Dantooine. Found out later I was on Takodana.”

“I spent the next year trying to put myself back together and eventually met Maz. She helped me find my way; got me to stop hating myself and everything around me, and she trained me. And that’s where I stayed, until you came.” She looked up at the unreadable Mandalorian. 

“Are they looking for you?” He asked, his voice neutral.

She shook her head. “Like I said, Maz wiped my chain code.” Tali said, “She kept an ear to the ground in case they were looking but either they figured I’d gotten myself killed or wasn’t worth the trouble to track down.” There was silence for a long moment before Din spoke. 

“Okay.” He inclined his head and straightened. 

“Okay?” Tali said, “That’s it?” 

Din shrugged. “As long as you’re not bringing heat down on us and your chain code is clear, we’re good. But I’m serious about the carbonite.” 

Tali bit her lip and nodded. 

He strode past her. “Good. Let’s talk through Coruscant.” 

* * * * * * *

“The temple is in the Senate district, on the upper levels. I’m going to land here.” Din pointed to a spot on the holographic map projected between them. “You two will hire a speeder to take you to the temple, do what you need to do, and get out. I’ll have the ship locked down but I’ll be on coms. If anything goes wrong, I’ll bring the ship to you.” 

“You don’t think the port authority will have a problem with the ship being off the books?” Cara asked, forearms propped on her knees. 

Din shook his head, “No. It’s a smaller cargo port, should just be manned by droids.” 

“Any idea what we’re expecting at the temple?” Cara asked Tali. 

Tali squinted slightly at the miniature spires of the temple rising over the surface of the map. “From what I’ve read the restoration of the temple’s still in progress but the Archives were apparently one of the first things Skywalker commissioned to be rebuilt. I don’t know if we’ll be able to access the information ourselves or if we’ll have to go through a librarian though.” 

“You get the slightest impression that something’s wrong or someone’s watching you, you get out of there, understand?” Din said, his comment directed more at Tali than Cara. 

”Understood.” 

Cara sat up. “Should be a blue milk run.” 

He stretched his shoulders. “We can sit back for awhile, we still have almost eight hours of travel time.” 

“My normal go tos before a job this easy are a drink or a bet, but I think we both remember how well a bet went last time.” Cara said. Tali looked at Din, confused. 

“Cara’s the friend I told you about. When the kid...” Din said, his voice trailing off. 

“Ah. Well, I may be able to help with the second option.” Tali said, reaching up to her shelf and returning with a small bottle. “ _Murishani_ , you want any?” she asked. Din shook his head and she returned with two cups. Cara took a sip and looked approvingly at the bottle. 

“Must’ve been a real shock when you realized what was going on there. With the kid.” Tali said, looking carefully at Cara. 

“Yeah. I don’t think I want to know where he learned to do that.” she replied, taking another sip. 

Tali leaned back, settling against the bulkhead. “Kids are impressionable, it’s natural for them to mimic what they see and hear. Especially when it’s colorful language.”

“So what you’re saying is I need to watch my mouth around him now?” Cara joked, topping her glass off. 

“Hey, I’m not the one you’re gonna have to deal with if the kid’s first word is an expletive. That’s all Dad over there.” Tali gestured to Din with her cup and continued more seriously. 

“I mean, the kid is fifty years old already. He may have seen some pretty messed up things even before you picked him up, _murishani_.” 

Cara huffed. “Well, he’s definitely seen some messed up things since then.” There was no way she could’ve seen the glare aimed at her from behind black glass but she still seemed to get the idea. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but bounty hunting isn’t exactly a peaceful profession. I’m just saying between that, the whole ‘weapons are my religion’ thing, and that complete sh-- I mean, mess back on Nevarro, the kid has seen some stuff.” 

Deciding he didn’t need any more parenting advice from two people currently throwing back bathtub spotchka, Din sat down to take apart and clean his rifle. His mind quieted as the conversation and laughter faded into the background behind the reassuring and familiar routine. 

When he finally set it aside and returned to check on them, Tali was wheezing with laughter as Cara animatedly described one of her escapades as a dropper. The now mostly empty bottle sat between them. As he settled against the wall adjacent to them, Tali turned her head to face him, still chuckling, and smiled. The sight of that smile and her blue grey eyes, hazy and warm, sent a punch of heat through him. A moment later however, her eyes widened and she sat up. 

"Almost forgot! I got something for you in the market!" Din was impressed when Tali managed to get to her bunk with only a slight stagger. She rummaged around before producing a silver item with a flourish. He reached out to take it. 

“What is it?” Din asked, taking the slim metal tube. 

“The twi’ selling it said it’s an ‘emergency induction port’, but it looks like a straw to me. It’s so you don’t have to go somewhere else if you want to drink something around us!” She lowered her voice slightly, “You know, because of the…” and knocked her knuckles against the side of her head before winking. Din was silent for a long moment before Tali stepped forward, putting a hand on his arm. “Or, you know, you don’t have to. I just thought…” 

Din interrupted her. “No. It’s very kind.” Rolling the straw between his fingers, he opened his mouth to thank her, but closed it abruptly. The words seemed inadequate to communicate his feelings in the face of her thoughtfulness. No one had ever given him something meant to ease his way without compromising his Creed. He settled for squeezing her hand where it still lay on his arm, trying to put his unspoken feelings into it. She smiled brightly and returned the gesture before Cara interrupted. 

“Mando, you mind if I take your rack? I want to get in a few hours of shut-eye before we get there.” 

“Go ahead.” Din replied and Cara waved a hand at him in thanks. She was snoring within a few minutes of climbing into the narrow bunk. Din wrapped an arm around Tali’s waist as she stood unsteadily, 

“Cara’s nice,” she said, “I really like her.” 

“You may feel differently when you wake up.” Din said dryly. 

“Nope, gonna feel great. Gonna be a good day.” Tali sighed as she pulled her feet up onto the cot. As he turned though she sat up again and grabbed his hand. 

"I’m sorry...that I lied to you.” He started to interrupt but she squeezed his hand lightly, “That was the worst day of my life. And even though it ended, it didn’t really...end, you know?” 

Din nodded, feeling her thumb press into his palm through the glove. 

“And then when I got to ‘Dana and found Maz...it was like I was still just one step away from the edge. ‘S why I stayed so long, she kept me honest. Can’t slip around Maz.” 

She turned to look at the sliver of green barely visible above the rim of the cradle. “And then you showed up all strong and silent type with him.” She smiled softly, eyes still on the cradle. “He’s really something special, isn’t he?” 

“Yeah. He is.” Din responded, pulling her blanket over her. He smoothed a hand over her hair and she hummed quietly as her eyes closed and her hand slipped from his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Su cuy’gar - Hello (lit. you’re still alive) (Mando’a)  
> Azalus outmian - dangerous outsider (Huttese)  
> Paz LIVES. I will accept no other answer.  
> The Mass Effect reference is for Shugga-T, who requested a reference about 3 seconds after they heard what the OFC’s name was going to be.


	7. Mircir - (v) to be taken, captured

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The best laid plans of droppers and bounty hunters gang aft agley.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please note the new tags folks. TW: kidnapping, drug use, mild violence.  
> At this point I probably owe @futurePOTUS my first born child for all the energy she puts into betaing this, but let's be honest we both know she'd rather be the cool aunt anyway.

The first thing Tali saw on waking was a large pair of round brown eyes about two inches away from her own. She yelped and flinched back, the kid tumbling from her chest into her blanket

“Oh kriff, sorry Kou.” she said, retrieving the now-grumbling child from the blankets and straightening his little robe. He balanced precariously on her stomach and chattered nonsense at her before she felt his consciousness slide against hers. He projected an image of one of the games she’d taught him in their shielding lessons, along with curiosity. 

“I can’t play with you today, Kou- _nyee_ , Cara and me are going out today. Maybe you can play that with your dad while we’re gone?” She replaced her image in the projection with the Mandalorian and the kid cooed in pleasure. Tali winced at the slight twinge in her head, reminding her that they’d finished off the bottle of spotchka last night. _Note to self_ , she thought, _it’s possible that Cara is something of a bad influence_.

The dull hum of the engines told her they hadn’t arrived yet, so she couldn’t have slept that long. Washed and dressed, she started to wander over to the ladder up to the cockpit and paused, not wanting to bother the Mandalorian if he was sleeping. The kid made the decision for her by letting out a high-pitched squeal. She quickly picked him up to shush him but she could already hear movement from the cockpit and the familiar modulated voice. 

“You better not be making trouble down there, _ad’ika_.” Tali eyed the kid disapprovingly, who just smiled innocently up at her and made grabby hands to be placed on his usual spot on her shoulder. _This kid is getting spoiled_ , she thought as they made their way up. 

She came up to stand next to the Mandalorian, one hand braced on the back of the pilot’s chair.

“It’s still pretty staggering sometime to see this, after so much time on the ground,” she said, gesturing at the streaks of stars around them, “I’m sure it’s nothing special to you anymore, seeing it so often. Probably think I’m being a hopeless romantic.”

Din barely had to tilt his head up to meet her eyes. “Maybe a little. But there’s nothing wrong with that.” 

Tali nudged him playfully with her hip, “Well, I’m going to assume that your first few times into space you were as star-struck about it as I am.” He let out an amused exhale and turned back to the viewscreen. 

She hunched forward slightly as the kid worked his way around the back of her shoulders and dropped down onto the Din’s right pauldron, his clawed feet clutching for purchase. Din reached up to steady him as they came out of hyperspace and the child wrapped one small arm around the back of his helmet. 

“He wanted to play one of the shielding games this morning, I may have suggested that you’d play it with him after we leave.” A sly grin met what she was sure was a narrowed glance when he looked up at her again.

“Kind of you.” He made an attempt to sound annoyed but she could hear the smile in his voice. 

Galactic City’s cloudy skyline came into view as they descended, still impressive despite the ravages the civil war had brought to much of its staggering architecture. It still hummed with all the quiet power and wealth of the Inner Core planets. Bypassing the busy main spaceport, Din piloted the ship to a much smaller cargo port in the old part of the city. He stood as the engines slowly cycled down and reached a hand out to stop Tali as she turned for the hatch. 

"I want you to stay close to Cara today. And keep your eyes open. " He said, his voice serious, “Don't take any chances if something feels wrong, just get back to the ship.” Her eyes flickered across his visor and she wondered what she’d read in his eyes. 

“I’ll be careful.” Tali murmured, entwining her fingers with his gloved ones.

Stepping forward, Din brought his other hand to the back of her neck and tilted his head down to rest the front of his helmet against her forehead. Tali hesitated for a moment in surprise before she stepped closer and laid her other hand flat against the hexagonal inset on his cuirass. They stood like that for a long moment, the light pressure of his hand on the back of her neck and the smooth metal under her fingers settling her in ways she couldn’t define. 

“We’ll be back before you know it.” She said, her voice soft as her hand slid slowly over the surface of his armor.

Tali jumped a moment later as Cara’s voice came from the bottom of the ladder. 

“You both up there?” Tali peered sheepishly up at the Mandalorian from under her eyelashes, and stepped back from the intimate moment, although her hand remained on his armor. 

“Yep,” she called down to Cara, “coming down though.” She rose up on her toes to bump her forehead against his helmet lightly before turning to the ladder. 

Cara fought back a grin when she saw the kid still clinging to Din’s pauldron. “Best seat in the house, huh kid?” she said, strapping a blaster on her hip. Din was glad to see Tali strap hers on as well. He knew he sounded like a broken record at this point but he couldn’t shake the bad feeling he had about this plan, a feeling that only grew the longer they sat on the ground. 

“Remember. If anything--” 

Cara interrupted him, her eyebrows raised. “If anything feels off, we’ll head back to the ship. Relax, Mando, this’ll be easy. Besides, you said yourself nothing could get through the ground protocols once they’re engaged.” 

He folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll see you back here this evening. I'm on coms if anything changes.” 

Cara muttered something about mother hens on her way out the door, and Tali waved at the kid cheerfully. 

Tali let Cara handle the port fees and the rental of the speeder, slightly overwhelmed by the sights and sounds of hundreds of people moving around them after so many years on quieter planets. She zoned back in as they joined the endless lines of speeder traffic and began making their way up through the levels towards the old Federal District. Much of the architecture was blocky, nothing like the few pictures she’d seen of the old, sleek skyscrapers of the city before the Empire took power.

“Have you been here before?” She asked Cara. The woman shook her head. 

“Nope. End of the war saw me mopping up after the Battle of Endor. The end of the war here was a real mess; rebel units and civilians fighting stormtroopers and loyalists block to block on the lower levels. Mas Amedda actually came out at one point and tried to personally surrender,” Cara smirked, “but General Organa told him to go suck Nuna eggs until he could offer a full surrender on behalf of the entire Empire.” 

Tali turned to look at her. “Could he even do that? Surrender on behalf of the entire Empire?” 

Cara shrugged. “No, but that didn’t stop them from imprisoning him until he went through with it. He finally called for a ceasefire after the Battle of Jakku and there wasn’t anyone else around near his rank, so they figured he was as good as any to sign the treaty.” 

As they rose above the final tangle of levels and into the bright afternoon sun, a massive shape appeared off to their left. 

“That’s it. The Jedi temple. Or what’s left of it, at any rate.” Cara said, steering the speeder closer to the structure. 

The stone building had clearly once been a soaring fixture of the block, with sloping walls leading up to a flat roof. Four massive pillars stood at each corner of the temple with a fifth, central spire, showing signs of damage but still standing tall. The central portion of the building looked recently restored and was a stark contrast to the cracked and crumbling surface of the outer edges. 

Cara parked the speeder and they walked across sun-warmed stone and into the shadows at the base of the ziggurat. As they approached the main entryway Tali could see the marks of heavy blaster fire on the walls, the stone cracked and charred. 

As her foot made contact with the temple floor, Tali heard people screaming and the temple around her shifted. A pyre of bodies in brown robes on the front steps of the temple. Storm-troopers flooding the hallways. A man in black robes with yellow eyes facing a room of frightened children. She tore herself from the vision, gasping and shivering, as Cara shook her shoulder lightly. 

“--okay? Tali?” Tali shook her head to clear it, heart still pounding. 

“Nothing. Just...something dark visited this place.” Cara studied her worriedly for a moment. 

“Is this a Force thing?” She asked. Tali nodded, taking a deep breath to ground herself, closing herself off from the icy feeling that permeated the building. 

“I’m good.” She took another step into the building and was relieved when she saw only the stone at her feet. 

“Let’s get to the Archives and then get out of here. This place doesn’t feel right.” Cara said, looking around and rolling her shoulders as if to displace something on her shoulder.

They entered into a massive room where the stone ceiling rose high above them, and tall glass tablets ran the length of the long hall. The same chill in the air that Tali had felt in the main entrance was here as well and she shivered, feeling as if invisible eyes were watching her. 

A woman stood by the closest tablet, typing something on a datapad. She looked up when she heard their footsteps, and Tali was surprised to see that the woman’s eyes were as white as pearls, with no pupil. As she turned, Tali saw that one of her arms and one leg were entirely prosthetic. 

“May I help you?” She asked, her voice curious but firm. Cara nudged Tali when she didn’t respond at first, still distracted by that eery icy feeling.  
  
“Yes! Yes. Sorry. We’re looking for information? On, a Jedi?” 

“Well, this is the Jedi Archives so, you’re in the right place.” The woman folded her hands over the datapad and stepped towards them gracefully. “Were you looking for information in general or…?” 

“Yes. Master Yoda?” 

“Ah. Yes. Well, we’ve been able to recover quite a bit of information on his life on the Jedi Council. This way please.” She led them halfway down the hall to one of the glass panel and tapped on her datapad, changing the information displayed on the panel. 

“Of course, it’s still entirely possible that we’re missing existing information. It’s been a real effort trying to restore all the old records, not to mention determining what’s real and what’s legend invented by those with a sense of humor…” Her tone was wry, as if she’d personally suffered through the sorting process. “I’ve told Master Luke time and time again that this effort needs more bodies, but he’s so bent on teaching as many as he can.” 

“This is everything we have on Grand Master Yoda,” the librarian said “don’t hesitate if you have any further questions.” Turning, she walked back to the front of the room, where another patron had just entered. 

Tali and Cara began scanning the information. 

“Kriff. It doesn’t say what planet he was from. Just ‘a planet in the Unknown Regions’.” Cara said. 

“Keep reading, maybe there were more of them and they settled on another planet.” Tali replied, eyes narrowed as she read quickly.

A moment later her brow furrowed, lips moving as she re-read the text. “Wait a minute. This can’t be right.” Tali waved at the librarian, who came back over to them. 

“Ma’am--” she started. 

“Tionne. Tionne Salusar.” The woman corrected. “You had a question?” 

“Tionne. These dates, are they correct?” 

Tionne looked to the passage Tali pointed to, and nodded. “Yes, I see your confusion. Grand Master Yoda was nearly 900 years old when he became one with the Force.” 

“By ‘became one with the Force’, you mean when he died? He was 900 years old when he died?” Cara asked incredulously.

It was her turn to be fixed with that unsettling white gaze. “Yes. He was an important figure on the Jedi council for centuries.” 

Tali met Cara’s stunned glance in dismay, knowing they were thinking the same thing. The Mandalorian wasn’t old by any means but if the child was only 50 years into a centuries-long lifespan, it was inevitable that his father would die before he even reached adulthood. 

The man who’d walked in earlier passed them with a murmured pardon, inspecting text on another tablet slightly further down. Tali tore herself back to the present, determined to get whatever other information they could and get out.

“Is there--” She stopped to clear her throat, “Is there any further information on what species Yoda was? Or any others like him that may still be alive? Where they might be?” 

Tionne sighed. “Unfortunately, no. I can’t say whether it has always been a mystery or whether the information was known at one time and was lost during the purge of the Empire.” She tilted her head, fixing Tali with a sharp eye. “If you have any information on another of his kind, we would be most interested.” 

Tali shook her head firmly, “No. Just...curious.” Tionne hummed in acknowledgement and turned away.

“As interesting as I’m sure this is, it’s not what we need.” Cara said to Tali. “We should cut our losses and get back to the ship.” Tali stepped away from the tablet reluctantly, eyes searching desperately for anything useful in the tablet’s reflective text. 

“Can’t believe I wasted our time with this…” she mumbled, finally turning to follow Cara out of the Archives and back through the main temple hall. 

“Well we did find something. It just isn’t exactly what you’d call good news.” Cara huffed out a breath. “I’m not looking forward to telling Mando that his kid is going to outlive him by several hundred years at the very least.” Tali made a concerned sound as they exited the temple. The sunset mixed brilliant red and orange panels of light with growing shadows from the buildings. 

“Still, no harm done at least.” Cara continued. “We’ll get back and talk to Mando and then we can--” 

She turned quickly at Tali's abrupt yelp, her hand immediately going to her blaster. Three men in worn black flight suits with a red circular symbol on the shoulder had grabbed Tali and were dragging her to a waiting speeder. Tali scrabbled for the blaster on her thigh but one of the men ripped it away from her. 

Cara took aim at the two not holding Tali but her shots missed them by inches. Red streaks flew past her and she dropped to the ground as one of the men returned fire. They dumped the small woman in the back of the speeder and piled in themselves. She saw Tali throw her head back into the face of the man holding her, the man howled and blood dripped from between his fingers as he clutched his nose. Taking advantage of his distraction, Tali scrambled to the side of the speeder and started to throw herself out of it but the broken-nosed man snaked a tight arm around her throat and jerked her back down. 

Cara pushed herself up and sprinted for the speeder but it was already moving, dropping below the level of the temple wall. She cursed and ran back to their rented speeder, stabbing the keys into the ignition and revving it into gear as soon as the engine came online. Turning the corner of the temple wall, she scanned the vehicles around her, there were so many. 

“Come on, come on” she muttered, eyes darting around. She let out a triumphant hiss as she saw a flash of black uniforms with red patches heading down and to her right and pushed the speeder until its engine whined. Cara leaned forward, her grip white-knuckled on the throttle as she gained on them. She yanked it back a second later as a large person-transport sluggishly made its way across the line of traffic, barely missing a collision with it. She slammed a hand down on the side of the speeder, cursing. She couldn’t drop below the transport and there was no space to go above or around it in the thickly layered traffic. 

Once the transport had passed Cara searched the traffic below her but saw no sign of the speeder. She made several passes further down, her eyes scanning wildly, but saw nothing. 

Cara swore viciously, causing several mortified speeder drivers to peer at her disapprovingly. Ignoring them, she pulled out of the line of traffic and down to the nearest corner. Cara scrubbed her hands over her face before putting them back on the steering yoke. She’d lost them. In a city with nearly five thousand habitated levels. 

* * * * * * *

Tali fought hard against the thick arm wrapped around her neck, arching her back to try and kick at the body behind her. 

“Get off me! Let me go!” She gasped, trying to reach back to claw at her attacker’s face. 

The arm tightened around her throat as a voice growled low in her ear. “We can do this the easy way or the hard way, girl.” 

Black spots began to appear on her vision. _No, no no,_ she thought frantically, knowing her chances of survival would dwindle rapidly if she couldn’t keep some idea of where they were taking her. She looked around desperately, trying to memorize something, anything about the run-down part of the city levels they were entering. 

The spots continued to build around her peripheral vision and now her efforts to escape came from a place of fear for her life rather than anger. The arm around her neck tightened even more and she heard the voice in her ear chuckle darkly. 

“I love it when they pick the hard way.” Tali felt an injector prick the side of her neck and tried to jerk away in vain, but the world spun around her and she finally gave in to the dark. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Playing fast and loose with the dates surrounding the Archives restoration here but we'll call it creative license.  
> Thanks for your comments and kudos folks, they're each like a warm hug from Baby Yoda.


	8. Gett'se - (n) courage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cara has the braincell, Din isn’t exactly what you’d call a planner, Tali is in deep shit, and the kid thinks about Names.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments are lovely and wonderful and so life-affirming.

Tali’s head pounded as she returned to consciousness, feeling as if she was fighting her way up from the bottom of a lake. She was roughly picked up and almost collapsed when her feet hit the ground, a pair of binders slapping over her wrists as she tried to steady herself. 

“Walk. I didn’t give you that much.” 

She felt sick as she raised her head. It looked like they were in one of the old factory districts with only a few electrolights still illuminating the buildings. She barely made out the words _Atlas Corp._ in fading letters on the building across the street before she was forcibly turned to face the same man who’d restrained her in the speeder. 

Blood had crusted and dried down his chin from where Tali had slammed her head into his nose and he had a particularly ugly look in his eyes. His gloved hand closed on her upper arm with bruising force as he steered her into a run-down duracrete building. She struggled to break free but he jerked her forward and a heavy door slammed behind them. Stormtroopers in dirty white plastisteel armor were stationed along the corridor and she shied backwards into her captor’s grip on instinct.  
  
“I said walk.” He growled, shoving her hard. Tali shivered as she walked past the troopers. The place was eerily silent and cold with a lingering dampness and the smell of mildew in the air. They turned a corner and down a corridor with a large Imperial seal in chipping red paint on the wall. The man led her to a room at the end of the hall and she balked on seeing the table fitted with restraints at the center of the room. 

Sensing her fear, the man behind her chuckled darkly. As he pushed her forward, her mind screamed that she should be fighting back but her limbs seemed to be made of lead. The restraints clicked shut over her ankles and, after removing the binders, her wrists and Tali belatedly yanked at them. The man grinned.

“Would’ve been nicer if you hadn’t been such a brat, but you wanted the hard way.” 

As the man checked the restraints, she fought down the panic and reached out to his mind, not sure what she could do but desperate to try. Her eyes shifting downwards, she finally noticed the circular red patch on the shoulder of his uniform and her blood went cold, her concentration breaking. The design itself was unmistakable, and the three letters stitched below it confirmed her fears; _ISB_. Her mind went blank with panic.

Tali had only ever heard rumors of the intelligence agency, but the stories were always told under someone’s breath usually while looking over their shoulder. Stories of men showing up with questions and the people they took returning wrong, or never returning at all. 

The man straightened and left the room. Trying to stay calm, Tali scanned the room around her. It was fairly innocuous. There were no knives or other obvious items intended for torture. Just a single injector and several colored vials laying on a metal table. 

Tali swallowed hard when she saw them. Over their decades of power the Empire and the ISB in particular had made a careful enough study of torture to make the more traditional methods redundant. 

Footsteps echoed down the corridor and a middle-aged man walked into the room, carrying a datapad. He studied her for a moment before speaking. 

“Talise Osira. Race human, born 20 BBY.” The Agent’s voice was cultured with a clipped tone that rang with authority. “Do you know who we are?” 

After a moment Tali replied, her voice small. "The Imperial Security Bureau."

“Good, that saves some time." He sounded pleased. "Do you know why you’re here?” 

She said nothing but couldn’t stop the tremor that ran through her. His gaze was steady, resolute. This was someone whose mission would not be stopped by something as trivial as a peace treaty.

“You are here because you were heard asking some very specific questions. Now, I’m going to ask you some very specific questions.” 

He ran his hand lightly over the colored vials, almost caressing them. 

“If you answer my questions honestly and quickly, you will be rewarded. If you refuse to answer my questions or attempt to lie to me, you will be punished. Cooperation means your freedom. Refusal to cooperate will result in further punishment and your eventual termination. Do you understand these rules?” 

She stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge him. 

“Last chance.” 

Tali shuddered but still said nothing. She just needed him to put his hands on her skin. Just for a moment. 

The Agent picked up the injector and fitted the blue vial into it. She tensed, knowing her opportunity would be a split second between when he touched her and when she was injected with whatever was in that vial. A moment later her heart sank as she saw him pull a pair of gloves from his pocket and real terror filled her when he turned back, fully covered outside of his face. 

“Very well.” He stepped towards her, injector in hand. “Let’s begin.” 

* * * * * * *

“ _Din. They took Tali.”_

Din scrambled to the comlink. “Who? What happened?” 

Cara’s voice was muffled by the sound of wind, she must’ve been in the speeder. “ _Some washed up ISB sleamos. They snatched her right outside the damn temple. One minute she was right behind me and the next she’s being shoved into a speeder. I lost them between levels._ ” 

It felt like someone was squeezing his lungs. “Are you being followed? Can you get back to the ship?” 

“ _I should be able to get back, I haven’t seen any tails._ ” For a moment the only sound over the coms was static. _“I’m sorry, Din. We’ll get her back. We’ll find her._ ” She sounded like she was trying to convince herself. 

“It’s not your fault.” He said automatically. Realization hit him with a sick feeling. “They were ready for this. They must’ve been waiting for someone to show up and start asking questions. Gideon was ISB, that can’t be a coincidence." 

Cara spat a colorful string of expletives. " _I'm on my way back to the ship, we'll come up with something._ "

Din stood and paced the too-small cockpit feeling like a caged animal. His stomach twisted as he tried to think. Over half of Coruscant’s habitated levels had suffered catastrophic damage during the war, leaving plenty of spots for the intelligence agents who hadn't been high rank enough to be included in the Exodus to set up shop. Finding Tali in that mess without some clue wouldn't be finding a rock in an asteroid field, it would be impossible.

The kid watched his pacing from the floor where they’d been drawing before Cara’s message came through, color-stick still in hand and wrinkles furrowing his tiny brow. Din stopped pacing and ran a hand over the crown of his helmet, letting out a breath. 

“We’ll find her, _ad’ika._ ” He said, his voice firm. “We’ve hunted down plenty of other quarries with less information. This is no different.” Even as he said it he heard the lie in his own voice. _Except it is different,_ he thought, _because it’s not just another quarry, it’s Tali_. An image of her surrounded by faceless beings, delicate features wracked with pain jumped to his mind and he shoved it away. _That isn’t going to happen. We’ll find her._

Twenty minutes later the comlink crackled again. “ _I'm outside._ ”

Din coded in the sequence to disable ground protocols and punched the hatch release, hitting it again as soon as Cara was on board the ship. She didn’t look at him as she passed and instead immediately started pacing the bay. 

"Okay,” she said firmly, “First, we need to move. If ISB grabbed her because they think you’re here it’s not a stretch to think they’d contact a superior and start checking all the ports.” 

“Second, we need to stay positive here. They're ISB, not stormtrooper grunts, so they're not going to kill her." Cara didn’t say _yet_ , but she didn’t need to. They both knew Tali’s captors weren’t in the business of releasing subjects alive. 

"They must’ve bugged the place or had someone implanted there in case anyone came asking.” She finally turned to look at Din. “Can she use the Force to get away?" 

He wavered. "Only if she can get skin contact. She can get into someone's mind if she's got skin contact with them. Otherwise she can only influence them." 

"So best case scenario, they lay hands on her and she’s able to get away.” Cara said, arms folded across her chest. “Worst case scenario, she can try to confuse them or maybe get them to go easier on her. We’ve got to trust that she'll try to buy as much time as possible for us to get to her." 

"That doesn’t help if we don't even know where to start looking." Din snapped, regretting his tone as soon as the words were out of his mouth. _This isn't Cara's fault,_ he told himself firmly, _you thought this was a good idea too._

He continued, forcing calm into his voice. “Okay, so we move. Then what? Is there anyone we can go to for information here?” 

Cara shook her head. “I’m sure there is but I have no idea who it would be. And if we start asking questions without knowing who the right person is, we’ll just draw more attention to ourselves.” 

She looked back at him. “You said the kid can reach out, right? Can she do that too? Can she get a message to us somehow?” 

“I don’t know. I have almost no idea how the Force even works, much less what’s possible with it.” He’d rarely felt so useless. “Would the New Republic peacekeepers be able to help?” 

Cara blew out a breath. “They’d try but by the time we wade through the red tape she’d probably be dead or off-planet. They won’t be worth bantha shit.” 

“So we’ve got nothing.”

“She’s smart, Din, and she’s got her abilities. Chances are good that she’ll find a way to contact us or get herself out. All we can do is move to a safer spot, hunker down, and wait.” 

* * * * * * *

_You’ve really gotten yourself into it this time, Tals_. Her brother’s wry tone echoed in her memory as she shifted uncomfortably. The pain had built to a dull ache in every bone with occasional sharp spikes of agony like fire in her veins. Coupled with the chilly damp of the room and the constant too-tight pressure of the restraints against her wrists and ankles, she was finding it incredibly difficult to focus on blocking anything out. 

“Where is the Asset?” 

The question came for what felt like the hundredth time since they’d begun more than an hour ago. When she said nothing, he sighed and turned to the agent standing by the door. 

"They apprehended her on the temple grounds, with another woman?” He asked. 

"Yes, sir.” The woman answered. “The other woman matched the description on the bulletin but she was deemed a non-viable target. This one was easier to subdue quickly." Tali let out an angry sound at that and the woman smirked. 

"Any sign of the Mandalorian?" 

"No sir. And no flags on the vessel." 

Tali disguised her relieved exhale as a gasp of pain. _Cara got away and they haven’t found the ship._ _At least they’re safe._

“They’re here somewhere. Keep me apprised of any relevant traffic.” Hearing the dismissal in his voice, the woman saluted and spun on her heel to leave. Turning his full attention back to Tali, the Agent studied her carefully. 

“I don’t know what they told you, but the Mandalorian in question stole an important asset. Property of the Imperial Security Bureau. He and his ally are also responsible for the deaths of several dozen civilians on Nevarro.” 

“Don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Empire’s gone.” Tali spat back, raising her head to glare at the man. 

The Agent cocked his head. “Gone? No, child. We are merely waiting for the opportunity to rise again.” 

Tali let her head drop back to the table and a broken laugh escaped her. 

“You’re insane, you know that? You can’t expect to just kidnap someone off the street and--”

“You think your friends will report your absence to the New Republic and they’ll track us down in a fiery blaze of justice, hmm?” He raised an eyebrow at her, his tone derisive. 

Tali opened her mouth to reply before her brain caught up. _He’s trying to get a rise out of you. He’s trying to get you to admit you’re with them._ She snapped her mouth closed and set her jaw, staring straight ahead again. 

“Pity. I thought you were coming to your senses for a moment.” The Agent said, turning away from her. She could hear the note of impatience under the smoothness of his voice and allowed herself a small feeling of victory. The feeling was quickly quashed when the Agent turned back, fingering a second vial now. It was a sickly yellow color. 

Her fear must’ve shown on her face because he smiled, and her stomach rolled. 

“The lack of common sense you’ve displayed thus far is disappointing, but perhaps we can motivate you to a different path.” Tali couldn't help but flinch away from the injector’s cold press on her neck. The Agent’s gloved hand yanked her head back by the hair and she hissed in pain as the needle pierced her skin again.

* * * * * * *

Something was definitely wrong. 

The child prides himself on Understanding things. Yes, there are things he Does Not Understand, such as why Buir does not let him in the big seat without him or why Buir does not like him to eat certain things that are Good or why most of the others don’t use the right Name for Buir. Then again, the others don’t seem to use the right Names for most things, including themselves, so maybe it’s just him who doesn’t Understand. 

Now however he Does Not Understand what’s going on and he doesn’t like it. Not one bit. His others are angry-worried and none of the Sounds make sense and he has been picked up and placed in the sleep place not once not twice but _three_ times (the third time Buir pointed his finger and he Understands that _stay_ means _don’t move_ by now). 

The Safe One and the Bright One went earlier and now only the Safe One is back and Buir was angry at first but now he is just worried-tense-scared. 

He Does Not Understand why the Bright One wouldn’t come back too, because Buir and the Safe One are clearly upset by it. Maybe the Bright One got lost and couldn’t find the way back to the metal cave? It must be that, because Buir wouldn’t leave the Bright One behind when he is safe-happy-calm when she is close. 

He tries to make Sounds to ask why they don’t go look for the Bright One, but Buir can’t seem to Understand them this time. Buir doesn’t have as much patience as usual right now but he doesn’t pull his ears or make loud Sounds or shut him in the dark like the others in the before-place. Buir never does that. The child Understands the Sound Buir makes when he picks him up, he Understands that _ad’ika_ is him. It isn’t the right name but it’s a Good name to use until they Find the right one. 

Now that’s an idea, Finding. Finding makes scared-sad into warm-safe. After all, that’s how it was when Buir found him in the before-place and then again when he took him away from the other with greedy eyes. He looks up at Buir and pats the too-many-fingers hand, trying to reassure him that he can Find the Bright One. Buir doesn’t seem to Understand but he pulls him close anyway. The child wiggles slightly when Buir holds him too tight but he Understands that Buir is not squeezing him like the before-place others did to be mean but because he Does Not Understand how to find the Bright One.

Reaching out, the child feels the Thrum that is always there. It fills him with excitement and sometimes maybe with a little bit of fear. He can feel that there are many many others here around their metal cave and among them are so many bright spots. More than at the before-places, much more. He follows the flow of the Thrum for a while, exploring the bright spots, but none of them are the Bright One. He can feel her bright spot somewhere but it’s hard to Find. 

He keeps going, the dark down here making him want to go back but then he remembers he is with Buir so he is safe. He Understands that the Bright One is down here and not with Buir, so she must be not safe. 

The child coos in happiness when he finds the Bright One, the Thrum is warm as it wraps around them both. He Does Not Understand however why she won’t let him in or what the Sounds mean, although he Understands that the dimness in her bright spot is pain and fear, and that makes him afraid. There are others with her, like the ones from the before-place that would pretend they were going to hit him and then laugh when he flinched away. The one she is most afraid of has the greedy eyes and he knows that this other is Not Good. 

He lets the Thrum carry him in and he sees how she got lost from the metal cave. Before he can see more though, she uses the Thrum to push him away but he Does Not Understand because she sends love-kind-sad to him when she does. Maybe she thinks that he will become lost too? He Understands that she can’t leave this place any more than he could leave the before-place. But then, Buir came to the before-place and Found him after the Speaker showed the way. 

The child Understands more than most how terrible it is to be lost. He will show what he saw to Buir and the Safe One, and Buir will Understand and will Find the Bright One. 

* * * * * * *

Tali had given up keeping track of time. Or how many times the world had gone in and out of focus. Or how many times she’d heard that damn voice. Whatever they had given her was messing spectacularly with her senses. The cool metal of the table under her felt red hot, her hearing was distorted with buzzing, and everything was yellow-tinted for some reason. She could feel that her nose had started to bleed a while back but couldn’t reach to wipe it away. 

The questions continued, although the voice changed. The rare times she could focus she noticed that as the voice became more impatient, the pain increased. 

Tali had a moment of horror when she heard her own voice dreamily answer a question about her birthplace. Biting her tongue until copper filled her mouth, she’d retreated into her mind to gather and lock away all her memories of the Mandalorian, Cara, and the child. Watching the Mandalorian relax by the fire as the kid slept in a bundle of cloth on his chest. Feeling his strong fingers curl around hers as they whispered in the dark. Laughing with Cara and seeing him shake his head at them from across the room, knowing he was grinning under his helmet. She’d hidden them deep and now allowed herself to float on crystalline waves of pain. 

At some point recently, she’d felt another injection but hadn’t bothered to flinch away or fight it. The pain made it so difficult for her to concentrate on anything, and there was less skin contact here than there was at a Lorridian Life Day festival.

Out of nowhere, she felt a familiar warmth brush over her consciousness. Tali’s eyes snapped open as she heard the low coo in her mind and she felt her heart wrench. The kid couldn't be here, couldn’t feel this. As gently as she could, she pushed him away. _No, you have to leave. You all have to leave._

The kid was insistent, applying slow but unrelenting pressure. _No, Kou-nyee_ , she thought, _please go._

She could feel his consciousness leaking through her shields in places, getting snatches of images and emotions and sounds. Her fatigue felt like a living thing dragging her down and part of her took selfish comfort from his presence. Banishing the feeling, she gathered her strength. She would be damned if she was the one to lead the Mandalorian and Cara straight to Gideon and his ilk. 

_Go, Kou,_ Tali thought firmly, shoving the kid’s consciousness out of her mind with a surge of affection, _Don’t come for me. Leave._ She heard a whispered whine before her mind was heartbreakingly empty again. The pain swelled and she couldn’t breath for a moment, everything in her screaming for an escape from it. She retreated within her mind, away from the pain and the questions and behind the gates of her city. She looked around at the crumbled duracrete and broken glass, and smiled. This was her domain, her field of battle, and she could keep the Agent busy to buy time for the Mandalorian to get the child away.

* * * * * * *

The ship was deathly quiet. Din had ceased pacing and now just sat, keenly aware of the hours passing and knowing that as time went by the chances of recovering Tali slipped away.

He felt a small hand on his shin and looked down. The kid had gotten out of his cradle _again_ , but he couldn’t be mad when he saw the drooping ears. He’d clearly picked up on the emotions around him. Din brought him to his lap and tucked him close instinctively. 

“I know, _ad’ika_. We don’t even know where to look.” 

Protesting slightly at the tight grip, the kid squirmed around until he could stretch his small hand out. Din sat up a bit, recognizing the focused expression and narrowed eyes, his own heart beating faster. 

He felt the familiar presence against his mind and then heard someone speaking to him as if he were in a tunnel. Flashes of color appeared in his mind. He heard Cara start next to him, seeing the same thing he was.

_He was walking down a corridor, poorly lit, with troopers in white armor looking at him. A worn Imperial crest was painted on a wall, half in shadow._

_Phantom pain ripped through his limbs and he heard the echo of a muffled groan._

_A man with cold eyes looked him over with disinterest. “All you have to do for this to stop is to answer the question. Where is the Asset?”_

_As the colors faded, he heard Tali’s raw whisper, “Don’t come for me. Leave.”_

Din opened his eyes and met the kid’s steady gaze. 

“Was that...?” Cara asked, breathless. 

“He can somehow...see what she’s seeing.” Din’s mind was reeling, but he couldn’t afford to spend precious seconds thinking about this newest ability. 

“Can you show it to me again?” He asked, praying this would be one of those times when the kid magically understood him. 

To his relief, the kid chirped and Din paid close attention as the visions flickered across his mind again. One detail stuck out to him; faded words on a building. 

“Atlas Corp. Could that be where they’re keeping her?” 

Cara shrugged, her eyebrows raised. “Maybe? I have no idea how this all works.” 

Din set his jaw and stood, climbing the ladder to the cockpit with the kid still tucked in his arm. “It’s all we’ve got right now.” He plugged an inquiry into the holonet connection of the navcomp and felt a glimmer of hope when he saw the results. Cara leaned over his shoulder to look. 

“There’s an Atlas Corp factory on level 1190, not far from here. We’ll start there.” Din ran a hand over the kid’s head, pulling him close again. “We’re not leaving her.” 

  
  


* * * * * * *

Inside her mind, Tali’s world had shrunk to a single building. Outside the stone walls of her father’s mechanic shop, the city glitched and distorted. The building next to the shop crumbled heavily to the ground and pain rolled through her like a shockwave. She heard someone scream in the distance and dimly noticed that it almost sounded like her own voice.

She found herself on her knees as the ceiling shivered, dust drifting slowly through the weak sun beams that spilled across the floor. She pushed herself onto her heels to sit against the door to the living quarters and her head fell back against the cool steel. 

Tail wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold back the flood. It was like an ocean, raging through her veins and into her mind, drowning her city and floating all her thoughts and memories away on the tide. _But they can’t have these_ , she thought to herself. Behind the door and up the stairs were the most important parts of herself, locked away safely. Her memories of her father and brother, from before. The smell of pine and rain, from Takodana. The look in the child’s eyes when she played music for him. The feel of the Mandalorian’s skin on hers, and his husky voice. Their whispered conversation in the dark and the way the tension let his shoulders when Cara laughed. The location of the _Crest_ , and their presence on the planet. 

Tali closed her eyes, exhausted from holding back the inevitable surge. She could feel the water lapping at her feet now. _Fly away from here, Mandalorian. Take your son and leave._ Her heart ached at the idea of never seeing them again, never running a hand over the kid’s soft ears or hearing a laugh rumble up from the Mandalorian's chest, the sound warm despite the modulation of his helmet. She took comfort from the knowledge that her attackers would get nothing useful from her. They could take everything from her and never reach these treasures. 

The sunlight was gone from the city now and she could hear the roaring of the water coming to carry her away with everything else. She blinked but the darkness only grew. As her vision went black, she could hear other voices speaking. The invaders, outside the sturdy walls of the mech shop. Their voices echoed distorted off the steel and duracrete, the sound barely carrying over the currents of water seeping through the cracks. 

“This is a waste of our time.” The first voice said. 

“This is the best lead we’ve had in months on the Asset.” The other voice snapped. “She knows something, otherwise she wouldn’t be fighting so hard.” 

Greed twisted the first voice, making it oily and smooth. “If we can deliver the Asset to the Moff, he will honor us above all others. We will rise with him.” 

“This is our way back to greatness.” 

* * * * * * *

Dragging her bag over, Cara opened the weapons locker and drummed her fingers along the edges, eyes flickering over her options. Beside her, Din jumped down from the cockpit. 

“I’m coming with you.” He said, reaching for a blaster. 

"No.” Cara’s eyes continued scanning the weapons as she responded. “You stay here with the kid. We may be bringing the party to you so you need to be ready to get us the hell off this rock when we come back.” 

She turned to look at him. “And if we don’t...you need to get the kid out of here.” 

She felt Din waver and knew he was caught between the truth in her words and his desire to go with her.

“I can handle this.” She said, pulling an ammo pack out of her bag.

His voice was rough. “I know you can. I just...” Cara paused in her preparations, caught by the emotion in his words. The beskar mask gave nothing away, as always, but she could see the tension in his body like the hum of an electrical wire. 

“I’ll bring her back, Din.” She said, her voice slightly softer. “One way or another.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got all the way through writing half of the next chapter with both Din and Cara suiting up to come get Tali (complete with Din kicking ass with the Whistling Birds) before realizing that it would’ve been totally OOC for him to leave Baby Yoda on the ship alone when they had no idea what they’d find at the facility. Luckily, Cara is a force of nature all on her own.  
> Writing the BY scene was both fun and frustrating as hell. It's intended to be vastly different from everything else. Hope it worked for you, dear readers!


	9. Teeganalir - (v) to rescue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cara kicks Imperial ass and Din swims in the river Denial.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My eternal thanks to my betas @futurePOTUS and @Shugga-T. You guys and the folks on the Discord server are keeping me sane through this bizarro time.

Cara had never exactly been a fan of stealth tactics. She wasn’t built for it, hadn’t done terribly well in training for it, and generally didn’t like it. There were few situations that couldn’t be solved by breaking down a door and moving in with an appropriately-sized weapon. True, some situations required larger weapons than others, but in general the approach had worked well over her years of fighting. And as her drill instructor used to say, _if it ain’t busted, don’t take a ‘spanner to it_. 

With that logic in mind, she went with an old standby; blast charges to take down a door, an accelerated charged particle repeater gun strapped into a balancing harness across her chest, and a blaster on her left hip with an extra ammo pack for the repeater on her back. Enough firepower to deal with a large group, the blaster and the bayonet on the repeater for close quarters, and a set-up that left her hands free if necessary. 

It hadn’t taken long to determine that the old Atlas Corp factory was long empty, but the run-down building across the street showed signs of life. She didn’t see anyone but Cara’s instincts were singing. She would’ve bet credits to calamari flan that it was the place; it stunk of Imps. 

She set two of the blast charges on the back wall of the building and moved back behind a nearby wall. A few seconds later an explosion belched flame and duracrete out onto the alley. Turning the corner on her heel, Cara strode through the large jagged opening, taking advantage of the smoke from the blast to duck unseen into the room, coughing sounds alerting her to the four white armored shapes framed through the dust. A spray of shots took them down and she finished sweeping the room before moving to the doorway, shock trooper training already linking her surroundings with the scraps of vision Tali had managed to get through to the kid. 

Moving quickly, Cara took down two more troopers in the next room, their blasters drawn but not brought to bear. Turning a corner, she ducked bolts from a trooper at close range and rammed the bayonet end of the repeater straight through the trooper’s white plastisteel chestpiece, allowing the body to slide off the blade to her side as she continued down the hallway. 

An alarm blared through the building but she tuned it out in favor of the approaching footsteps. Dropping to one knee behind a crate in the hall, she balanced the barrel of the weapon on the edge of the crate and trained it on the open corner at the end of the corridor and waited. A few moments later, the hallway lit up with flashes as she mowed down the three troopers turning the corner at a run. 

Standing again, she peered around the corner and recognized the dimly lit corridor painted with the Imperial crest from Tali’s vision. Listening carefully, she moved quietly to the door at the end. 

As she did a man in a black uniform came striding out of the room, anger twisting his features. “What is the meaning of--” he started before stopping dead at seeing her. A vicious smile came over his face. 

“I knew it. _I knew it_. You’re too late, they’re already on their way here. They’re going to strap you into a mind-flayer and--” His body jerked with blaster bolt impacts and he dropped to the ground. 

“Thanks for the heads up, buddy, we’ll see ourselves out.” Cara muttered, weapon still raised as she moved slowly down the hall towards the door the man had exited. 

Pushing it open slightly with the point of the bayonet, she peered in and saw Tali secured by cuffs to a table. 

“Tali,” she hissed, moving quickly to her. The smaller woman murmured, her eyes fluttering open. She had a dried line of blood from one nostril but more worryingly, her pupils were enormous, the irises a near-invisible ring of blue around the black. She had clearly been drugged with something. Depending on what she’d been given, their exit could become significantly more complicated. 

Looking around, Cara strode to the control panel and hit the release for the restraints, the metal retracting from Tali’s wrist and ankles with a _chink_. Returning to the table, Cara gently shook her shoulder.

“Tali. _Tali_.” 

“C-Cara?” Tali’s voice was frighteningly weak. 

“Yeah, it’s me. We gotta go. Can you walk?” 

Tali looked up at her but couldn’t seem to focus her gaze. “You’re not supposed to be--you were supposed to _leave_.”

“And deal with Mando’s moping? Not to mention the kid? No chance. C’mon, we’re getting you out of here.” Tali’s brow furrowed in confusion but Cara was already pulling her gently to a sitting position. 

“Think you can walk?” She asked, checking Tali over quickly for injuries. Her wrists were raw and bruised and she had a few scrapes but otherwise seemed physically unharmed. 

“I can’t see...Cara, I...I can’t--” Tali’s voice rose in pitch as panic set in. She looked around frantically, her breathing turning quickly to hyperventilation. Cara slapped her cheek lightly and grabbed her by her chin. 

“Tali. Focus. Can you walk? We’ve got to move.” The woman’s breaths quieted and she slid down from the table. She swayed a bit but kept her feet.

“I can walk.” Her hands grasped Cara’s arm and Cara turned her head towards the open door to listen, hearing more approaching troopers. She spoke swiftly. 

“Okay. You’re gonna hold onto the pack on my back and keep up with me. Do not let go of the strap, and keep your head down.” 

Tali nodded. Turning, Cara guided her hand to the strap of the ammo pack across her back and felt Tali’s hand clench around it. 

“Ready?” Cara asked, her head turned to the door again. 

“Ready.” Tali replied, her voice stronger.

 _Alright, and now we leave. Easy as a late night stroll on Sorgan._ Cara took a centering breath and let it out before moving to stand beside the open door, Tali following to stand behind her against the wall. When four troopers in worn armor came through the door a moment later, she unloaded a few bolts into each of them. Moving out into the corridor, she stepped around the body of the Agent and heard Tali mirroring her steps as best she could behind her.

Coming back into the first room, Cara let loose a blaze of rounds that left a small haze of smoke hanging in the air, but no troopers still upright. Reaching one hand behind her, she pulled Tali over the bodies and through the improvised entrance in the building’s outer wall. Cara let the repeater gun hang from its harness and drew the blaster from her left hip, her head on a swivel for any sign of life. 

They melted into the dark alley outside the building, Cara listening for any sounds of pursuit or commotion but hearing nothing. They continued on quickly, making frequent turns and keeping to the shadows as they moved further from the derelict buildings and into a cleaner section of the level. Cara dug the comlink out of her belt pouch. 

“We’re out. Where are you?” 

His response was almost instantaneous, as if he had the comlink already in his hand. 

_“I’ve got your location. Go two more blocks up and left. There’s a scrapyard with an open space in the middle. I’m parked there. Anyone following?”_

Cara breathed a sigh of relief and reached behind her to bring Tali around to her side. “Not for the moment, but I think they called for reinforcements so we need to get the hell out of town.” 

“ _Soon as you’re both onboard, we’re gone. To hell with the Core.”_ Cara snorted at that but didn’t lower her guard as they made their way further from the warehouses. 

“He’s right though,” She muttered to Tali, “the Core can get rocked. Give me a dive on the Outer Rim anyday.” Tali didn't reply, her breath coming quickly again as she stumbled on the uneven ground. She seemed to be losing what little coordination and strength she had left and her steps weaved slightly. 

The scrapyard came into view, the _Crest_ with its ramp down in the open receiving area. As they approached the ship Din came down the ramp, reaching out to support Tali as she nearly fell. He swung her up into his arms and carried her inside, Cara following.

“Can you get her settled? I’m going to get us in the air.” Din said, laying Tali gently down on her bunk.

“Yeah, go.” Cara replied, unbuckling the repeater harness to take off the large weapon and shrugging the ammo pack from her back as he climbed back to the cockpit. She felt the ship shiver as the engines roared to life. Several minutes later, she heard the heavy thumping of the ship’s guns and was half-way up the ladder to the cockpit in the space of a heartbeat.  
  
“Did they follow us?” 

Din’s voice was hard. “Just tying up loose ends.” 

Climbing the last few rungs, Cara saw the remains of the ISB safehouse in flames and rubble as they swung away from it. A savage grin broke over her face as she backtracked down to the main bay. 

On her cot, Tali had started to shiver violently, her eyes still staring blankly into nothing. Cara ducked into Din’s quarters and grabbed the blanket off his cot to wrap over her, rubbing her hands along Tali’s arms to try and warm her. Rather than comfort her however the weight of the blanket seemed to put her in a panic and she thrashed against Cara’s hands, panicked gasps escaping her. 

“Whoa, whoa. You’re safe, Tali. We’re back on the ship.” Cara tried to soothe her but Tali didn’t seem to hear her, her eyes rolling in fear as she hyperventilated. 

_Shit_. Cara pulled away and grabbed the medpack from the refresher, coming back to kneel beside the shuddering woman. 

“Sorry Tali, but this should help.” she murmured as she gently pulled her head to the side and injected the light sedative. At the needle prick, Tali shrieked and tried to pull away, forcing Cara to clamp a hand down on her side to finish administering the injection. A few moments later the panicked woman’s breaths slowed and she relaxed, dilated pupils glazing over as her eyes closed. Cara sat back on her heels with a hard exhale and rubbed a hand over her face. _What the kriff did they give her?_

Din climbed back down the ladder a moment later, the kid clinging to his pauldron. He looked down at Tali, who slept quietly now. 

“I set a course for Corsin, just to get us into hyperspace. Is she alright?” Concern lined his voice, audible even through the helmet’s modulator. 

“I had to sedate her, they pumped her full of something. She was better before but just now she couldn’t hear me and I don’t think she knows where she is. And she said back there that she couldn’t see.” 

Cara shook her head with a grim expression and stood to replace the medpack, speaking over her shoulder. 

“You’ve got to get her to a medic. I have no clue what they gave her or how long the effects last. She’s got a couple bruises and scrapes but the drugs could really screw her system up.” Din looked sharply over at her as he crouched next to Tali’s bunk. 

“You said they’d called for reinforcements?” 

Cara exhaled through her nose. “The guy who was in the room with her said there was already someone on the way.” 

“We can’t go back then.” Din said. “And if they’ve got half a brain they’ll have a check on the local system medcenters for someone with her symptoms.” 

He adjusted the blanket to lay more evenly over Tali and laid a hand on her shoulder. Cara returned to the side of the bunk and folded her arms, drumming her fingers on her bicep. 

“I know a medic on Shili, someone we can trust. We go there, my friend can check her out, and hopefully she’s got whatever meds we need. It’s not far from here and it’s the safest option with the Imps likely keeping tabs on official places.”

“You’re sure you can trust her?” 

Cara nodded. “She served with me, as our squad medic. Saved more lives than I could count and she hates Imps almost as much as I do.” 

Din looked back down at Tali and grazed the back of his gloved fingers over her cheek. “Let’s hope she still feels the same way.” 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Din sat in the pilot’s chair, forearms propped on his thighs, desperately wishing he had the privacy to remove his helmet and rub his aching eyes. While he was sure Cara would readily give him the time, he felt guilty leaving her alone to look after Tali. 

He’d escaped back up to the cockpit to set course for Shili and had stayed with the excuse of putting the kid down to sleep. The truth was he had no idea how to be helpful and the sick ache in his stomach only grew as he caught snatches of Cara’s murmured reassurances and Tali’s distraught ramblings from below. Comforting had never been part of his skill set until the kid and he was barely starting to get the hang of that some days. 

Din generally viewed hyperspace as a good time to relax; the ship needed no user input, giving him precious time to spend relaxing with the kid, putting together trajectories, and doing general maintenance on his weapons or armor. Usually hyperspace naps were the most relaxed sleep he got. In this instance however the white streaks outside just rankled him, as if space itself were growing larger or the ship slower just to remind him how far they had come for nothing. _Worse than nothing,_ he thought bitterly, _we came all this way to walk directly into a trap_. _And Tali..._

As if she’d heard him thinking, Cara called from the bottom of the ladder. 

“How long until we get there?” 

“Not much longer. How is she?” Moving to stand over the hatch, he could see exhaustion and worry written in every line of Cara’s face. 

“She’s hallucinating. She thinks she’s back on Tattoine.” 

“If I push the ship faster we’ll risk losing an engine. Just keep her from hurting herself,” he said. He knew he should help Cara but he couldn’t face either of them.

She nodded tiredly and turned from the ladder.

Din heard a small whimper from the kid’s cradle and moved quickly to it. The kid pressed up against the far edge, his hands pulling at his large ears and his eyes wide with fear. 

“Hey, hey, what is it _ad'ika_? What’s wrong?” He reached out immediately and picked up the child, who clung to him and buried his head in his arm, trembling slightly. For the first time in weeks he felt a bolt of fear from the kid shoot through him, stealing his breath. 

Leaning against the bulkhead to support his suddenly shaky legs, he closed his eyes and was assaulted with images that made no sense. 

_A blond-haired young man leaning against a pod-racer with his head thrown back in laughter. The same young man with purple shadows under his eyes and a tremor in his hand as he raised a blaster and fired at an unseen target. Voices blurred over each other, cruel laughter and screams and whispers, and a soft low voice singing unintelligibly._

_It’s Tali_ , he realized his stomach dropping to new depths. Still cradling the kid, he collapsed back into the pilot’s seat. _She’s lost control of her projections._

He forced the images out of his mind, picturing the empty practice rooms of the training compound. He cradled the tiny body close, trying to comfort the child, and pictured the Valley with its strong stone wall. He couldn’t project, but maybe he could draw the kid in. 

_Ad’ika_ , _gar aranov, your shield._

He felt the child’s consciousness against his own and a moment later the kid’s trembling slowed with his breathing. 

_Jate,_ _ad'ika,_ he thought, feeling the child relax as he blocked out Tali’s projections. There was a cruel irony in using the same techniques she had taught them to defend themselves from others against her. Din let his head fall back and looked out the transparisteel window at the stars streaming by, holding a little tighter to the bundle in his arms. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

The village was tucked away in the foothills, easily missed without the careful instructions of Cara’s former squad mate. Din put the ship down fairly close to it, trusting Cara’s assurances that their presence wouldn't draw any negative attention. Cara had given Tali another light dose of sedative out of concern that her disoriented mental condition would make treatment more difficult, and she slept quietly as he rejoined Cara in the loading bay. 

Din stopped her as she started to lean down to pick Tali up. 

“I can carry her.” He said quickly, passing her the Amban rifle. She clipped it across her back and restrapped her blaster back on her hip for good measure as he moved back over to the sleeping woman. He gently slid his arms under her upper back and behind her knees, careful as he pulled her against his chest. As her hair fell back he could see the outline of several injection sites on her neck and anger flared in his chest. 

Looking up, he saw Cara studying him. “What?” he asked. 

“Nothing.” She replied lightly, but there was a smug expression on her face. Din fought down the urge to roll his eyes as she turned to the hatch. Cara had again come through for him and he couldn’t help but wonder how differently his life would have gone if he hadn’t stopped off on that little backwater skughole so many months before. It didn’t take much thought to know it would’ve likely gone extremely poorly for him. 

“Thank you,” He said seriously, “for bringing her back.” Cara turned back around and while her smug grin was still in place there was a softening around her eyes. 

“I’ve got your back, Din. That means you, the kid, and whoever else you consider worth it.” 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

“Hey!” The Togruta waved her arms from in front of a neat cottage, smile evident even from a distance. Cara broke into a wide grin and waved back, Din following with Tali in his arms.

“Dalka, nine hells, it’s been awhile.” Cara said, pulling her into a hug.

She hugged Cara back hard, the tips of her montrals barely reaching Cara’s eyes. Her skin was a pale blue with striking white markings outlining her eyes and nose, and bright orange eyes that danced as she pulled back to look Cara up and down warmly. Long blue lekku with white stripes draped over her shoulders and fell to hip level. 

“Cara. By the small gods, it’s good to see you. You’re well?” 

Cara nodded and motioned to Din. 

“I brought friends.” 

Peering around Cara, her eyes widened when she saw the unconscious woman in Din’s arms. 

“Right, you brought a patient with you.” She motioned them inside. “Bring her inside, we’ll get her checked out.” 

They followed her into the small, bright home and Dalka directed Din to lay Tali on the wooden table in the kitchen area as she went to another room. She returned a moment later with a medpack and a medi-scanner. 

“So what brought you here?” She inquired, beginning a visual exam of the woman. 

“We were in the neighborhood, to be honest. And we needed someone discreet.” Dalka looked up sharply but picked up the mediscanner. 

She ran the scanner slowly over Tali’s prone form, her brow furrowing slightly at the visible bruising around her wrists and ankles. She pricked Tali’s index finger, letting the resulting blood drip onto the unit’s blood scanning slide. The handheld device beeped twice before displaying a readout. She let out a breath as she studied the results and she turned to Cara with an uneasy expression. 

“How did this happen?” 

Cara shot a look at Din before speaking. “She was...abducted. We think her captors wanted information from her.” 

Dalka looked at her, the stark white markings on her face making the expression sharper. _She knows it was Imperials_ , Din thought, his hand automatically shifting closer to his blaster.

But she merely turned from them, beginning to pack her equipment back into her bag as she spoke. All the warmth was gone from her voice now and her movements were brusque and businesslike. 

“The drugs in her system are a mix of dissociatives, disinhibitors, and pain-inducers, intended to disorient and torture the victim. The concentration in her blood is high, it’s going to take some time for them to leave her system. In the meantime, her senses will be off and her body will struggle with thermoregulation. When I’ve seen this before, vision is the last sense to return to normal. There shouldn’t be any lasting effects though.” 

“How long before she’s recovered?” Din asked, unease growing at her flat tone. 

Dalka tilted her head. 

“With a dose like this, several days before her senses and thermoregulation even out, probably another week before she’s fully recovered.” 

She put her bag down on the table and stared levelly at them. 

“I’ve seen these drugs before. They’re used for a very specific purpose, by a very specific group of people.” 

Cara opened her mouth to speak but Dalka raised a hand, her face hard. “Don’t...say their name here. I know you had nowhere else to go, but you need to leave. Now.”

She looked down at the bag and then back up, setting her shoulders. “Since the war ended my people have fought hard to leave the past behind us and I’m not interested in bringing any more pain to them. We have suffered enough at the hands of those animals. I cannot allow you to lead them here.” 

Din thought Cara would protest for a moment, but she just held her hands up in acceptance. 

“I understand, the last thing we want to do is bring trouble to your doorstep. Thank you, Dalka.” 

Din gave an appreciative nod to the medic before picking Tali gently back up. He could hardly blame the medic for trying to protect her people from more grief at the hands of the Empire, and she had at least given them reassurance. 

The Togruta’s face was pained but resolute as she watched them walk back to the ship, keeping watch until the hatch was closed behind them. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

“We shouldn’t go back to Nevarro.” Cara said as they re-entered the ship. 

“No. Chances are that’s the first place they’ll look after they search the nearby systems.” Din gently deposited Tali back on her bunk and pulled the blanket over her. “We need to lay low somewhere for a while.” 

“Look, don’t take this the wrong way but this ship’s a little small for all four of us.” Cara pulled the rifle off her shoulder and leaned it carefully against the bulkhead. “We should split up. Drop me at the nearest city. I’ll hole up for a few weeks, get a message to Karga to warn him they might be coming.” 

“You sure?” 

“Yeah. The sooner we split the less of a target we are, and there’s enough humans on this world I can blend in pretty easily.” They climbed to the cockpit and Din was relieved to find the kid still sleeping peacefully in his pod as he initiated the starting sequence. Cara plunked down in the co-pilot seat with a heavy exhale as they left the ground behind. 

“So, how much longer before you two get off?” Cara asked.

Din turned his head around so quickly he heard his neck crack. “What?” 

“You know, how long until you get off the ship?" She repeated, the smug smile back on her face. 

Din shot her a glare that he was sure Cara picked up on even through the helmet. She crossed her arms. “Look, I'm happy to come in and bust heads for you every once in a while. But let's be honest, it’s not just you now and for someone trying to lie low, your ship is experiencing a bit of a population boom.”

Din nodded. “I’ve received the coordinates for the new Covert, thought we might lay low there for a while.”

Cara raised her eyebrows. “They going to be alright with you rolling up with an outsider?” 

“I’m...not sure.” He sighed, picking his words carefully. “Technically, under certain circumstances, outsiders are permitted to stay in the Covert for short periods if they provide a service we can’t otherwise take care of ourselves.” 

“So...because she’s teaching you and the kid, they’ll accept her?” Cara asked. 

“Accept? No. Tolerate? Probably. It helps that I’ve established her as someone I trust with my Foundling. That’ll give her more credibility.” 

“And they’re not going to have an issue with how close you two are? Considering she’s what they might see as an enemy?” 

He ignored the swooping sensation in his stomach at the implication in her question. “I think I can get around the enemy issue since she doesn’t align herself with the Jedi but I’ll deal with that if it comes up.” 

Cara gave him a long look. “I’ve been in a lot of situations where there’s nothing to do but lay low in close quarters, and none of them were made better by ignoring the bantha in the room. Denial doesn’t age well, Djarin.” 

Din made a non-committal sound as he turned back to the controls. Grinning, Cara crossed one leg over the other and stretched her arms over her head. 

“You know, this is technically three for three on ‘plans that didn’t go as intended’ for us. Maybe next time we’ll end up buried in so many credits we can’t even count them, surrounded by crowds of grateful civilians.” 

Din chuckled. “I wouldn’t hold my breath. Speaking of credits, I’ve got some put aside. I can pay you handsomely for your work on this job. You wouldn’t have to worry about money while you’re laying lo--” 

Cara was already waving him off, letting out an unladylike snort. “Please, save your damn credits and use them on the kid. He needs some more toys that aren’t also parts of your ship.” 

They landed outside the city, Cara insisting she’d rather stretch her legs a bit than risk them coming up on any port records or imager footage. Din followed her back down to the hatch, the recently awakened child clinging to his shoulder. She slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to look around the ship. 

“Good luck with the kid. Tell her I said have fun learning how to polish metal for a few weeks.” Cara said, looking over at Tali and grinning. Turning back, she gave the kid an affectionate ruffle on his left ear. She paused for a moment before pulling Din into a gruff hug. He grinned under the helmet and returned it. 

“Take care of yourself,” he said as she pulled back and started down the ramp.

She smiled, “I’m telling you, Mando, next time it’ll be bags of credits and adoring civilians.” He shook his head, watching as she strode off towards the city.


	10. Dinuir - (v) to give

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mar’eyce - ([mah-RAY-shay]) Something found at last, something precious
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all have waited 45k words for this. It's time. If you're not here for fireworks, drop off after the first break. If you're here past there, this one's for you. Knowing you're along for the ride gives me all the warm fuzzies.

Din covered his visor with one hand and leaned back in the pilot’s chair. 

" _Haaranovor, ad’ika._ _Haaranovor_.” 

He heard the kid’s claws tap on the metal floor as he scurried away again. Looking out of his periphery, Din satisfied himself that the kid was in no danger of falling down the hatch (though it wouldn’t be the first time he managed to get himself down from the cockpit). Instead the kid was tucked under the left co-pilot’s chair, the tip of one ear barely sticking out of the shadows. 

“Hmmmm…where could he be?” Din gave the underside of the console an exaggerated search. “Not under here.” 

Sliding out of his chair, he crouched down to look under the seat behind him, the kid’s stifled giggles coming from the last unsearched corner of the cockpit. 

“Not here either. I wonder if he’s….here!” Din spun on his heels and snatched the kid out from under the last chair. The tiny child let out a delighted shriek of laughter as he was swept up high. 

Din lowered the kid’s head until it touched his own forehead, tiny three-clawed hands coming up to leave fingerprints on his visor as he did. 

“You did good, _ad’ika_ , but next time you can’t be so loud. You need to be quiet or you’ll lead them right to you.” 

Din collapsed back into the pilot’s seat, the kid tucked against his chest. He looked down as the kid levered himself up to stand, curling claws into the top of his cuirass. 

He stroked one soft ear out to its tip. “If I tell you _haaranovor_ , do just like you did today, okay? You hide and wait for me to come find you. Don’t come out for anyone else. Except maybe your _ba’vodu_ Cara.” 

Reaching down to the small box under the console, he pulled out a color-stick and a piece of paper. 

“Ready for your words, _ad’ika_?”

A while later, Din had to admit to himself that this was not a situation he’d ever seen himself in. And that drawing was perhaps not a key skill set for him.

“ _Ad-_ ” Din said, holding the rough sketch up and looking down at the kid seated on his thigh.  
  
“Ah?” The kid asked as he tilted his head, massive ears lifting slightly. 

_“-ika.”_ Din continued. 

“Eek!” the kid replied excitedly. 

“ _Ad’ika_. That’s you.” He pointed to the drawing of a small form with large ears. 

“Deek!” 

“ _Jate_ , better. Who’s this?” He pointed to the larger figure next to it, a blocky form clearly wearing a helmet and armor.

“Bu!” The kid smacked his hand on Din’s cuirass, recognizing the word. 

“ _Buir_ , right? That’s me.” Balancing the kid in his other arm, Din carefully drew a hand reaching from the taller figure to the shorter one and a circle around them both. 

“ _Aliit_.” Din said, tapping the circle with the color-stick. The kid looked up at him solemnly with large dark eyes. 

“A-ee,” he replied, tapping the circle with his claws to mimic Din. 

“ _Aliit._ Family.” Din said, watching the kid touch both figures gently. 

The ship was quiet in its hyperspace flight, the provided coordinates were in the nav-comp, and thus far he had seen no signs that they’d been followed from Coruscant or Shili. Din allowed himself to relax and his thoughts turned to their destination. It would be different this time. The only one who had met his _ad’ika_ before was the Armorer and there hadn’t been time for more than basic questions in the aftermath of Gideon’s attack. _Worry about what they’ll think when you get there_ , he told himself, _he_ _’s a Foundling, just like you._

Din rubbed the kid’s back slowly, watching his eyelids droop despite his obvious efforts to keep them open. Once the kid settled into deep slow breaths and ear twitches, he carefully stood and settled him for the night. As he closed the pod, he heard rustling from below and breathed a sigh of relief that the kid had gone down before Tali woke up. 

He saw her head jerk towards the ladder as he came down and she recoiled away from the sound of his boots on the deck, drawing back against the bulkhead. He could see panic in her eyes as they darted around. 

“Tali, you’re okay. You’re safe.” He saw her freeze at his voice and her eyes seemed to search for him. Her voice was tight with barely restrained fear. 

“Where’s Cara? Where--?” Her breathing kicked up again and Din moved to sit down on the cot but kept his distance.

“We’re back on the ship. Cara’s fine, we just split up to keep the Imps off our trail.” She reached blindly out towards him, nearly falling forward before he caught her hands. 

“You should probably lay down. The medic said you would be disoriented for a while.” Tali nodded warily and shifted to lay back down. Din pulled the blanket back over her but remained sitting at her side, the warmth of her shoulder under his hand grounding him. 

Her brow furrowed. “Medic? How long was I out?” 

“It’s been about a standard day since Cara brought you back. You were...you weren’t in good shape.” 

“Did the medic say anything about the...blindness?” He heard the apprehension in her voice and squeezed her shoulder in reassurance. 

“It’s temporary. Should last another day or so until you level out.” He heard her release her breath and her shoulders visibly relaxed. “How do you feel now?”

Tali shivered under the blanket. “Cold. Head hurts. And my brain feels fuzzy. Like I drank too much.” Din grabbed another blanket from the storage locker and spread it over her. Cara had cleaned the blood off her face but she still looked pale and drawn. 

He tucked the blanket around her more securely. “Try to get some rest. It might be a long night.” 

* * * * * * *

Even with every available blanket on the ship tucked around her Din could see she was shivering hard, tucked into as small a ball as possible. 

“I don’t know how you can feel cold, you’re burning up.” he said, the display in his helmet showing her body temperature as several degrees above normal. 

“C-can’t be,” she stammered, “I’m so c-cold I can’t feel my f-fingers.” 

Din stripped off a glove and placed his hand on her cheek and forehead, checking whether his helmet display was malfunctioning. It wasn’t, she was feverish. As his hand settled on her skin her shivers subsided and she turned to press her cheek into his palm, letting out a small pleased sound. He left it for a long moment before pulling away and her shivers built again almost immediately. 

“Please, you’re so warm.” Tali pleaded, reaching one hand out of her blanket cocoon and catching his hand before he could put his glove back on. Din hesitated before he closed his fingers around hers. She sighed and some of the tension left her face as his thumb slid over her hand in small, soothing circles. He traced the lines of her palm to the translucent veins at her wrist. 

He brought his other hand up under his helmet, pushing it up enough to bite into the fabric of the glove and pull his hand out of it before clasping her small hand between both of his, careful to avoid the bruised skin around her wrist. The reaction was instantaneous; she hummed and moved forward, letting the blankets slip from her shoulder as she brought her arm out from under it to move nearer to him. He began running one hand up her exposed arm, his hand sliding over too-warm skin. 

Din worked his way up her arm and along her shoulder, chafing the skin lightly and feeling her shivers fade as he did. Her hand came to rest on his leg just above the knee, the heat of it burning through his canvas trousers. When he reached her shoulder he changed his motions to long strokes up and down her arm, the sun-kissed skin soft under his fingers.

“Always feel so nice when you touch me, ‘specially with your gloves off.” Tali murmured. “Hope you don’t mind.” 

“No. You’ve got...you’re--it's...good.” Din tripped over the words, distracted by the way her eyelashes flared against her cheek and her pulse beat quickly under his fingers.

She squeezed his knee gently, voice slightly slurred. “Try not to make you uncomfortable. Though I guess if you were uncomfortable you wouldn’t have taught me how to fight, huh? That kinda requires touching.” 

He huffed out a laugh. “I didn’t mind it.” 

The slow slide under his palm was intoxicating, he wasn’t used to anything like the open show of vulnerability she gave him. He could see her veins just under the bruising on her wrist and had an insane urge to press his mouth to the delicate skin there. 

“Didn’t mind having your hands on me?” Tali asked, that familiar teasing smile twisting her mouth. 

Something about her smile and the situation made him bold and the words came out before he could think them through. 

“Didn’t mind having you under me either, _mesh’la_.” 

The resultant bloom of pink in her freckle-dusted cheeks sent a jolt straight through him and he suddenly wanted to know just how far beneath the collar of her shirt the color crept. 

Tali hummed, her tone still teasing. “Well, you certainly weren’t the only one thinking about that.” Her fingers trailed across his leg and heat flared in him. “There were always things to keep me...occupied at night in my bunk after a session."

Din stopped, his brain short-circuiting for a moment as it caught up with the meaning in her words. “Y--you would--after we--?” He felt like he'd been drinking _tihaar_ , his brain not working fast enough to keep up with his mouth.

Tali just smiled, the muscles in her arm shifting under his hand as she stretched like a satisfied loth-cat. 

His mind went into overdrive concocting a scene and he stammered. “ _Osik..._ I...But you never said anything.” 

“Well, like I said. Didn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, or like I was trying to force something. I don’t know all the rules for the Mandalorian thing.” 

She turned slightly to present her other arm to him. Din automatically took it and began the same slow slide along it, the movement now feeling more like a caress than a comfort. Something else ate at him, something that had been on his mind for a while.

“Can I ask you something?” He asked. Tali turned to look at him, an unconscious gesture even in her blindness. 

“Why do you care so much? About not dishonoring my Creed?” He could hear the curiosity in his voice. “You’ve never pressed me for my name or asked me to take off my helmet. You've gone out of your way to make accommodations for it but you’ve hardly even asked me to explain it. Everyone does, at some point. Why haven't you?” 

Tali hummed in thought. 

“I don’t really give a damn what everyone in the galaxy does." She said finally. "Some people have this idea that they’re automatically owed something from other people, and I think that’s bantha shit. I don’t believe anyone has a right to any part of you unless you decide in your own time that you trust them. That you want to share it with them. Your name, your face, your story...that’s all yours unless you decide to share it. And if you never take off the helmet, then you never take it off. Doesn’t change who you are to me.” 

He stopped, one hand holding hers and the other curled gently around her elbow. She said it as if it were the simplest thing in the galaxy, as if it were only natural to think of it that way. Her eyes, focused slightly to the left of his face, were calm and steady and full of that disarming honesty that struck at the core of him. It seemed like so long ago that she’d guarded her emotions behind a passive mask around him, only showing them in moments of focus or stress. 

“And who--" His voice caught slightly and he cleared his throat before he continued. “Who am I to you?” He asked, the feeling of her fingers grazing his knuckles like electricity. 

She smiled softly and something tugged hard behind his sternum. 

“Someone who’s infuriating and, at the same time, the easiest person to be around. Someone who puts themselves last, everytime. Someone who doesn’t judge others for their worst days. Who cares much more than they’d like to let on. ” She tilted her head, smile turning teasing for a moment before she reached out to catch his hand. “And a good man that I trust, completely.” 

There was pain now, a tightening somewhere deep in his chest. Tali squeezed his hand lightly as if to reassure him and Din wondered for the hundredth time whether her abilities gave her some insight into others’ emotions. He felt her hand twitch slightly in his as another shiver rolled through her and an idea came to his mind.

Drawing his fingers from her, he moved to disengage the clasps on his cuirass. Hearing the gentle metallic sound of the armor being placed on the floor Tali sat up, shudders already beginning to wrack her slight frame again. 

“What are you doing?” She asked, turning her head to track his movements. 

“Trusting you.” He heard the concern in her voice when she realized what he was doing but continued removing his armor, the clasps and buckles second-nature to him. Toeing off his boots, he pulled the flak vest off over his helmet to leave him in just his base layers. Tali jumped when he pressed lightly on her back, urging her towards the outer edge of the cot. 

“Give me some space here.” She scooted to the edge and he slid in behind her under the blankets. She turned her head back towards him. 

“Are you sure you’re--” She cut off when she felt his arm come around her, the warmth of his body relaxing her tense muscles. 

Din tucked the blanket around her arms. “This way I can keep you warm and we can both get some rest.” He debated for a moment where to lay his hand before settling it on top of the blanket over Tali’s hip. He could still feel light tremors traveling through her body but the physical contact and warmth seemed to have settled the worst of them. 

“No wonder the kid never has issues with how cold this damn ship is. You’re like a plasma heater.” Tali mumbled, relaxing back against him. 

“Go to sleep, _mar’eyce_ .” He said, pressing his hand down lightly on her hip. When she said nothing more he tucked his elbow under his head and closed his eyes. Not that he thought he could really sleep laying against her. He could blame her fever for the intense heat wherever they touched but the fierce desire to pull her against him was his alone. _Or maybe not quite only his_. He felt himself stir when he thought about her imagining him while she lay here, maybe even gasping for him as she touched herself. 

Din shifted back and forced a deep breath, hoping the images wouldn’t follow him into sleep. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Tali woke slowly, piecing together sensations and sounds around her, mind clearer than it had been since she had been dragged off the temple grounds on Coruscant. As she took stock she felt a weight against her back, her legs slightly tangled with someone else's, and warm, slow breaths behind her. Opening her eyes, she turned her head before realizing it was a pointless gesture and felt the weight against her stir. The Mandalorian’s voice was raspy with sleep when he spoke. 

“How’re you feeling?” 

Tali felt like she’d received an electric shock when she realized that the voice was clearer, unmodulated. His helmet was off. _His helmet was off._ Naturally, her mouth moved first. 

"You're not wearing--" she blurted before she clapped a hand over her mouth, "sorry. I just thought--how does this work?" 

"This is...a loophole. So long as you can't see, I'm in no danger of a living thing seeing my face." 

She remembered their conversation from weeks before. "Except for Kou. Who is…?" 

"Sleeping still. I think everything yesterday took it out of him."

Tali sighed, relieved. "Well, I still can't see but I feel halfway normal again. And I’m warm. Finally." She felt his hand come up to press on her cheek and forehead, the sleeve of his underlayer brushing her face as he did. 

“Fever’s gone. The drugs must be leaving your system.” 

“How much longer am I blind for?” 

“At this point probably another six or seven hours.” She let out a frustrated growl and he smoothed a hand down her arm. “It’ll pass. Just be patient.” 

“Thank you, for…” Tali said after a moment with a vague gesture. “It really helps.” 

He hummed in response, his thumb sliding slowly over her bicep. As they lay there, she began remembering what she’d said the night before and heat crept up into her cheeks. It hadn’t been fair to tease him like that when he’d gone out of his way to comfort her. Even if he hadn’t seemed to mind. 

“But if this isn’t okay, you...you don’t have to-I mean, if you’re uncomfortable. Don’t feel obligated to, you know, stay like this.” Even as she said it she pressed closer to him. 

There was a puff of warm air next to her ear. “‘I’m comfortable.” She felt him lift his head as he hesitated. “Are you? Is this okay?” 

“Y-yeah. This is good.” She managed breathlessly as he hummed and snagged his arm around her waist. His voice sounded quietly again from behind her. 

"What you said last night about...how you felt with me. Did you mean all that?"

Tali felt another rush of embarrassment, but if she remembered correctly she certainly hadn’t been alone in her sentiments. 

"Every word. You?" 

He hesitated again and she waited, trailing her fingertips lightly over his forearm.

“Yes.” He finally said simply, and brought his arm up so it lay diagonally across her chest, pulling her snugly back against him. The heavy weight of it made something flutter in her chest. 

Tali pressed back and felt a hard line against her lower back. She heard a sharp inhale as she ground back further and froze, afraid she’d crossed some line, but she felt his leg wrap more securely around hers to pull her flush against him.

Emboldened, Tali reached her arm behind her, running one hand along his hip and down his thigh. She moved slowly, giving him plenty of time to stop her but she only heard a pleased rumble behind her. 

Tali arched her back slightly and reached up further until her hand touched soft hair, sliding her fingers in it. She felt heat unfurl low in her belly when he buried his face in her hair and let loose another deep rumbling sound of pleasure. She gently scratched his head for a few moments before threading her fingers through his hair.

She turned her head towards him as she shifted onto her back, though she kept her eyes shut. Somehow it felt safer this way. She felt his fingers lightly brush her hair off her temple and continue down the side of her face to draw along her jaw. She shivered at the warm touch, so much more sensitive without her sight to guide her. 

“Cold?” he asked, and Tali shook her head before her brain caught up with the teasing tone in his voice. He leaned down to trace the same line his fingers had taken with his lips, light as a feather. As he rounded her jawline she turned her face towards him and felt something electric inside her as plush lips brushed her own. They slid over hers, tentative at first until she brought a hand up to cradle his jawline, feeling light stubble against her fingers. The kiss deepened and a small noise escaped the back of her throat as his tongue traced at her parted lips. 

She felt him pull back just enough for her to catch her breath as his left hand trailed down her neck. He delved back into the kiss, less hesitant this time. Tali let her hand slip to the back of his neck and guided him down to rest more of his weight on her, her loose grip giving him a clear opportunity to resist. 

Instead he went with it, lips moving across hers with increased urgency. Tali felt the tips of his fingers dip below the hem of her shirt, his palm a firm weight against her hip. 

“Can I--?” He barely got the words out before she was breathing “ _yes_ , _please_ ” and he greedily ran his broad hand up her side, rucking her shirt up as he did. As his hand swept over her skin her head spun and his emotions spilled into her mind -- eagerness, pleasure, and want. Tali’s breath stuttered as his thumb brushed across the soft skin of her breast and he paused before repeating the gesture more consciously. When she whimpered in response he slid his hand across it, broad enough to easily palm it’s weight. 

His lips continued to move smoothly over her jaw and neck as he rolled her nipple between his fingers. Tali turned her head to the side to give him better access as the Mandalorian kissed a line back down her collarbone and she heard him growl when the path of his lips along smooth skin was interrupted by the fabric of her shirt. 

“Here,” she said impatiently, pulling her hands off him and crossing her arms in front of her to pull her shirt off over her head. As she shook her hair loose, she could feel his gaze on her and heat built just under her skin. 

Tali jumped slightly when she felt calloused fingers trail lightly down the centerline of her chest.

“ _Gar bid mesh’la, mar’eyce._ So beautiful.” His rough voice was in direct contrast to the touch of his fingers as his palm cupped her breast. She slipped her hands under the back of his shirt, greedy for skin, and rucked it up as well. 

“Can this go?” she whispered, her fingers sliding up his sides. He pulled back to yank the offending article off and when he laid back over her his body was almost feverish in its heat. Tali pressed closer, running her hands over his newly exposed back and shoulders and wrapping her legs around his hips. She gasped as his mouth moved down her neck and chest, the light stubble on his cheeks rasping over her skin. She arched as they closed over one nipple, hands tightening in his hair. 

Tali tugged at the strands between her fingers as he bit down lightly, drawing a shocked sound from him. Knowing she was playing with fire but unable to resist, she let her nails graze the back of his neck as she tugged gently again. This earned a warning growl as his hands tightened hard enough on her hips that she was sure she’d have bruises later. Murmuring an insincere apology with a grin, she released her grip in his hair and instead slid one hand down his front along taut muscles until her fingers crept under the waistband of his trousers. 

She wrapped her fingers around his hard length and gave several slow pumps. Continuing the slow steady movement she kissed him again, catching his lower lip between her teeth and feeling a groan from deep in his chest as he thrust into her grip. His hands pushed slightly at the waist of her pants until she got the idea and started to shimmy out of them. He pulled away and she almost whined to lose contact before she realized he was shoving his own down. 

He started to move back over her when she put a hand on his chest, stopping his movement. 

“What is it? Do you want to stop?” Tali half-smiled at the concern in his voice as his fingers wrapped carefully around her wrist. 

“Maker, no.” She said, sitting up on her knees. “I just want to do something for you.” 

She pulled him down until he lay beneath her, one of his hands curling gently around the back of her bare thigh. Sliding her other leg across his to straddle him, she ran her hand down his chest. She could feel the solid heat of him under her and resisted the urge to touch herself to see if she was actually as wet as she felt. His hands settled comfortably at her hips and his thumbs drew tantalizing circles around the prominent bones there. 

Leaning down, she let her hair cascade over one shoulder and pressed open-mouthed kisses down his neck and collarbone towards the center of his chest. _He spends all day in that armor, how it is possible for him to smell this good._ She felt him shiver as she ran her nails lightly down his stomach. Her fingers and mouth told her what she would’ve guessed of his body; it was lean and utilitarian, shaped by years of fighting for survival. Continuing downward, she began to speak in between kisses. 

“You’re always the one looking out for everyone.” She detoured from her path to kiss a scar her fingers had found, feeling him shudder under her. She wrapped a hand around his cock. “Just let me take care of you now, okay?” 

She traced the muscles that ran above his hip bones with her tongue, one side and then the other, smiling when she heard his harsh breathing above her head. He sounded wrecked and she’d barely even touched him. Tali shifted down to settle between his knees, feeling intoxicated by the power she had over the warrior beneath her. 

As she closed her lips around the head of his cock she tried to picture him based on the desperate sounds that escaped him. She imagined his head thrown back against the pillow, the cords of muscle she’d felt in his neck taut. His hand shot down to grab her arm as she slid her tongue over the underside of his cock and pulled off it with a pop. She flicked her tongue out over the head before sliding him back into her mouth.

He threaded a hand into her hair but seemed content to let her set the pace. His breaths were still wrecked but now words spilled from him, adding to the throb between her legs. 

“ _Chayaikir_ , s-such a tease with that smile and those _eyes_.” He cut off in a sharp inhale as she slid him to the back of her throat, his hand tightening in her hair. She hummed appreciatively around him and heard him groan at the vibration. She continued swallowing him down for a few long strokes before her lungs started to burn and her throat constricted. Pulling off his cock, she moved to short strokes of her hand, twisting her wrist as she caught her breath.

“You’ve got to st-stop, _mar’eyce_ ,” he breathed, “you’re gonna finish me before I even get to feel you.” Grinning, Tali wiped her mouth on her arm and allowed him to pull her back up his body and into a searing kiss. 

Breaking away, he brought her head down to rest her forehead against his, panting slightly. She felt minuscule tremors in the hand he had fisted in her hair and she lightly carded her fingers through the hair at his temple as she listened to his attempts at measured breathing. 

“You alright?” She asked quietly, feeling him relax in degrees. 

“No... _yes_...I--” He let out an unintelligible curse. “I don’t want this to end before I get inside you.” 

She backed off him slightly. “Here, sit up for a minute.” After he settled with his back against the bulkhead Tali climbed into his lap and let her hands drift slowly over his shoulders and arms. She continued the soothing motion, dropping feather-light kisses along his neck as he traced her vertebrae. She felt him twitch against her, leaving a smear of precum on her stomach as the fingers of his other hand grazed over the wet heat at her center. 

He let out a deep hum as he sunk one thick finger into her and she could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke. “ _Mesh’la,_ you’re _dripping._ Is this all for me?” 

She gasped, hands squeezing his shoulders. “Gods, _murishani_ , you’ve got a mouth on you.” 

“Maybe I’ll get my mouth on you later.” 

Her laugh turned to a moan and her head dropped back as he swirled his thumb around her clit. His hand tangled itself in her hair to pull her head back a bit further and she felt teeth graze her pulse point. 

“Please just--I need you in me.” Tali pleaded, too far gone to be embarrassed about the whine in her voice. Sitting up on her knees she reached down to guide him to her. She brought her other hand to his shoulder to stabilize herself as she impatiently pushed herself past the thickest part of his cock, pressing her forehead to his and breathing through her nose. She heard him curse under his breath as she sank down onto him. 

“Better…” she murmured, rolling her hips to seat herself and hearing a choked sound from the Mandalorian. 

“Issik’s teeth,” he panted, “so _tight_.” 

Tali laughed breathlessly, feeling deliciously full. 

“Don’t think it’s just me, _murishani_. You’ve been hiding this from me.” She attempted another roll of her hips, only to be stopped by his hands on her waist. He pulled back slightly and she paused. There it was again, all his intense need but something underneath it. Something he was just holding back, that was keeping him back as well. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

He stared at her for a moment, feeling a rush as he looked into her eyes. There was a thrill to seeing her face without any filter between them. Everything in his body was screaming to rut into her but something stopped him. She was constantly giving him pieces of herself; her time, her name, her open-faced emotions. She had upended her life to protect them. Even now she had put his own pleasure ahead of her own, in stark contrast when others had just taken, never looking past the armor. He tried to think of something equally precious to give her in return but knew he had little to offer. There was really only one thing he could think to give her. 

“Din.” He said quietly, leaning forward so his lips rested against her temple. “My name is Din Djarin.” 

He felt her breath hitch and she lifted her hand from his shoulder to cradle his jaw, smoothing her thumb across his cheekbone. 

“Din.” She whispered, her voice raw.

Determined to show her what he couldn’t with his eyes or words, Din forced himself to gentle his grip on her waist. He pressed his lips to the hinge of her jaw, the crows feet by her eyes, the soft curve of her mouth. Tucking her hair behind her ear, he drew back and let himself just look at her. His chest tightened at the realization that this would likely be the last time he ever saw her like this and he tried to memorize the soft emotion in her eyes.

Almost as if she could feel the tension in him, Tali leaned into his mouth and he let himself melt into the taste of her, the feel of her under his hands. When she pulled back he followed her, an embarrassingly desperate sound escaping him. Her voice, with that infuriating teasing edge to it, sounded low and close. 

"Din. I want you to do something for me." She moved with slow rolls of her hips, the heavy drag of him inside her agonizingly slow but so good. 

"Whatever you want," he murmured, "just don't stop." 

His grip tightened involuntarily as she nipped lightly at his neck. Her voice was husky in between each brush of her lips. 

"Remember when we were sparring? And I told you to stop holding back on me?" 

He couldn’t breath, positive that the heat between them, growing wherever her lips touched, was burning his lungs to ash. The urge that he’d fought down hard, the urge to just _take,_ was building again. 

"Don’t want to hurt you, _cyar’ika,_ " he panted, running a heavy hand down her spine even as a part of him howled to give into his baser instincts. 

His own back arched a second later as her nails sank into his shoulders and she ground down hard on his cock at the same time. Din felt lightheaded with need as she continued, a darker edge to her teasing now. 

"I’m not made of glass. You’re buried so deep in me you can probably feel my heart beating, so _take_ what you _need_." She rolled her hips against his and he swore he could feel her pulse deep within her. "Trust me, Din Djarin." 

He shuddered at hearing his name from her lips, his control frayed to a fragile thread. 

“You’re sure?” His voice grated as he let his hand drift back up to the nape of her neck, settling it there as he searched her eyes. 

“ _Yes,_ Din, I’m--” Her voice cut off in a whine as he tightened his hand on the back of her neck and kissed her roughly. Her hands tightened on his shoulders, nailing digging in again as he swallowed her moan. He pulled back from her but remained close enough that he could feel her small pants of breath on his face. 

“Turn around. Get on your knees.” He rasped, his hands moving roughly to turn her around when she didn’t move quickly enough. As soon as her back was turned Din was yanking her hips back towards him, one knee shoving in between her legs. He let his weight rest against the back of her hips, pushing her chest into the blanket as he pulled her arms behind her and captured her wrists in one large hand. 

“Alright?” He asked, the words coming out harsh. Tali just nodded, panting as she ground herself back against his thigh.

Din leaned forward and wove a hand in her hair, tilting her head aside to see her face. “Look at me, _mar’eyce_ , I need to hear you say it.” She trembled slightly and her eyelids squeezed tightly shut. 

“Y-yes _please_ just-- _please_ \--” 

“Please what, _cyar’ika_? What do you need?” He tightened his hand in her hair and felt Tali arch her back, wrists twisting in his grasp as she tried to gain any hold on him. 

“ _Din_ ,” she whined. He nipped at her pulse point and she groaned. “Just fuck me already, _please_.” 

“Desperate, aren’t you, _mesh’la_? And all mine _.”_ He sat back up, taking himself in hand to rub the head of his cock against her. A plaintive sound came from Tali, followed by a sigh of relief as he slipped an inch into her and stilled. He ran one hand gently down her side, feeling her tremble as he resettled the grip of his other hand on her wrists before sliding into her in one motion. He used his grip on her hands and hip as leverage to pull her back against him at a brutal pace.

“So tight, _cyar’ika_ , like a fucking vice. If I’d known you felt like this before I would’ve made you mine _weeks_ ago.” 

A muffled whine escaped Tali and she made as if to turn her face away from him into the blanket as she panted. Din reached down to grab her chin and turned her face back halfway towards him, grinding hard into her as he did. 

“Don’t hide from me, _mar’eyce_ , not when you’re taking my cock so well. I want to see those eyes.” She snapped her eyes open and a blaze of heat rolled through him as he watched her eyes desperately try to focus. 

“Good girl...just like that.” Din gasped, punctuating each word with a sharp thrust. Her captured fingers scrabbled over his wrist as she let out a throaty moan. He could feel her inner walls squeezing him and cursed, knowing he wouldn’t last long. He pulled her up against his body, trapping her arms between their bodies as he wrapped an arm around her waist. His other hand trailed roughly over her breasts, fingers tugging and squeezing as she dropped her head back against his shoulder. The angle was somehow even tighter like this and he swore he was coming apart at the seams as he slammed himself into her.

“Can I--where can I--” He asked, unable to even string a cohesive sentence together as he gasped. 

“In me, Din, come in me.” Tali breathed, eyes screwing up as she turned her head into his neck, letting out a broken sob a moment later. He could feel her entire body tightening, one hand pulled free from his loosened grasp and digging nails into the arm around her waist. A moment later she broke with a sharp cry, her back arching as she locked down so hard around him that he saw stars. He cursed as his thrusts became sloppy, his vision blurring as his cock throbbed, spilling inside her as her walls still fluttered weakly around him. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Tali came back to herself slowly, feeling pleasantly exhausted. She lay sprawled across his chest, the blanket pulled half-heartedly over their lower halves. His fingers, _Din,_ she reminded herself, traced over her back in aimless patterns. She could still feel echoes of unfiltered emotion from him layering over her own. A small sound of contentment escaped her and she felt a low answering rumble under her cheek. A hand stroked soothingly over her hair and she let herself drift off again. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haaranovor - hide  
> Jate - good  
> Ad’ika - child  
> Buir - parent  
> Mesh’la - beautiful  
> Tihaar - strong Mandalorian liquor  
> Osik - shit  
> Cyar’ika - darling, sweetheart  
> Mar’eyce/Mar’ika - something found at last, a state of heaven, something precious  
> Chayaikir - tease  
> Gar bid mesh’la - you’re so beautiful
> 
> Not going to lie folks, between the quarantine, a lot of crappy personal mess with terrible timing, and working up the courage to post this where other people can see it I am exhausted. We've got 2 more chapters coming, but they may not be 100% on time. I promise though, they will come.


	11. Aruetii - (n) outsider, foreigner, traitor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Din brings his Foundling home and Tali has some fairly rational concerns regarding being shot.  
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said 2 more chapters but JUST KIDDING it's 5. Love y'all. Your comments are like hugs in a time of social distancing.

Tali woke up alone, the sheets beside her already cool. She could hear Kou’s voice from the cockpit and the low murmurs of the Mandalorian in reply. Cracking an eye experimentally she breathed a sigh of relief when the ship came into focus. Her wrists had been bandaged and she had hazy memories of kisses placed on them before smelling the astringent scent of bacta spray. As she stretched a number of pleasant aches made themselves known. Round two had been less athletic but just as enjoyable as the first. 

Cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothes, she climbed the ladder to the cockpit, confident that she’d made enough noise to give advance warning in case Din had his helmet off. 

She heard hurried clicking, and a pair of delighted dark eyes and perked ears looked down at her over the edge of the hatch. The kid was climbing onto her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her neck before her head was even above the hatch opening. 

She smiled, bringing a hand up to squeeze him close. “It’s good to see you too, kiddo.” 

The Mandalorian turned his chair to face them as she finished climbing up one-handed. 

“I think he was worried.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “You look better.” 

“Pretty much back to normal. A night of good sleep does wonders.” Tali said, flashing a grin and receiving a low chuckle in return as she moved forward to stand next to him. She leaned her hip against the console, watching his hands move easily through the pre-landing sequence. “Where are we?”

“Doniphon. I want to lay low for a few weeks while things cool off after Coruscant.” He looked away from her as he said it, and there was a forced lightess to his words. Tali looked down at him, a suspicion forming in her mind. 

“...And you picked this planet why?” 

“My Tribe has an enclave here.” 

“We’re staying with other Mandalorians?” Tali asked, fascinated. 

“Yes. We’ll be safe in the Covert.” 

She raised an eyebrow. “And they’ll be okay with someone like me there?” 

“I’ve been granted permission to bring you there, yes.” 

Tali hummed, noting the careful wording of his answer. “So is there anything I should do, or say there? Or not say?” 

“Leave the talking to me, at least until I get the lay of the land. And stay close to me, no sudden movements.” His only outward sign of nerves was a slight tightening of his hands on the steering yoke. “Outsiders in the Covert are very rare, and they may be on edge given recent events.” 

Tali felt anxiety curl in her stomach. “Okay. Would it be better if I just stayed on the ship?” 

“We can do that if things...don’t work out, but we’ll be a lot safer inside the Covert. And it’ll give you and the kid an opportunity to stretch your legs some.” 

Tali was still preoccupied with wondering what things _not working out_ could look like when the ship settled gently on an open patch of ground surrounded by jagged grey stones.

Din stood. “We’ll have a bit of a walk to get there, I want to pack a few things. You may want to do the same, at least enough for a night.” He slipped past her and back down to the cargo bay. Tali felt tiny claws in her hair and turned her head to meet the kid's gaze. He matched her worried look with lowered ears. 

“Right there with you, buddy.” She murmured, rubbing his back before following Din back down to the cargo bay. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

  
  


Tali slung her bag over her shoulder and turned to put a few of the kid’s items into his pod. Looking over, Din straightened. 

“Actually, do you mind carrying him?” 

“Sure.” Something about the way he’d asked made her eyes narrow. “Why?” 

He sighed. “If they see that I trust you with my Foundling, it may help ease things. And they won’t risk any danger to the kid, so…” 

Tali lifted her eyebrows, incredulous. “Are you saying you’re not sure they wouldn’t just shoot me on sight if I walked in there without Kou?” 

“No! No...they wouldn’t shoot you. I think. I haven’t exactly done this before.” He let out another heavy sigh. “Look, they know we’re coming. It’s going to be fine but I’d prefer to give you every advantage I can.” 

He leaned down to continue packing items into a bag. Tali stared at him for another moment. _Is he serious right now?_

Shaking her head, she moved the kid’s blankets and toys to her own bag. Din hefted his bag onto his shoulder and picked up the disruptor rifle. 

“Ready?” 

Securing the kid in the scarf-sling across her chest and pulling her own pack on, Tali gave him a dubious look. He let out a rough exhale that might’ve been a laugh. 

“It’ll be fine. Trust me.” 

Tali hmphed, unconvinced, but let her fingers drift across his cuirass as she walked past him down the ramp. 

Insects murmured in the quiet of the evening and Tali inhaled deeply, enjoying something other than stale recycled air. Despite it, she felt herself tense up almost unconsciously as they headed away from the ship and into the shadow of a small mountain. Kou squirmed in the sling, clearly wanting to get down and walk on his own but he settled with some convincing. 

Din stopped to check something on his vambrace a few times as they followed a barely visible path up the side of the mountain for nearly half an hour before he paused again. Hidden behind a large rock was the entrance to a cave. Din turned back to her and carefully arranged the fringe of her scarf around the sleeping child so his face was clearly visible. He inhaled deeply and raised his visor to her face. Tali bit her lip, fighting down dread at that dark entrance. 

“It’ll be fine.” Din said, reaching out to run his thumb over her cheek. “Just. Don’t show them weakness. Meet them head-on, the same way you met that Transdoshan.” She nodded and forced a smile. 

Tali squared her shoulders as their steps echoed along the stone corridor. _Meet them head-on. Some of the fiercest warriors in the galaxy, who may not like you to begin with. Just another day._

She still took an instinctive step closer to Din when an armored figure loomed out of the darkness. Tali had always considered Din an imposing figure, but frankly this Mandalorian made him look small. His armor was painted a dull blue, covered with scratches and visibly dented in places, and he carried a massive repeater gun that made Cara’s favorite gun look like a child’s toy. 

He stepped into the corridor to block their path and Tali caught herself as she started to step back.

“Only you would dare to bring an _aruetii_ here.” His voice was rough and low with the hint of a threat. 

“I know the _alor_ told you I was bringing her.” Tali recognized the dangerous edge in Din’s voice as he moved forward to stand only a few inches away from the other Mandalorian. She had the feeling there was a staring contest going on under those helmets. A commanding female voice rang out from down the corridor and both of the Mandalorians stepped back. 

“Stand down, _al’verde_. The _aruetii_ has permission to be within our walls.” 

The larger Mandalorian stepped aside to reveal another armored figure. She wore a dark red chestplate and a fur cape over her shoulders. A horned brass helmet caught the light as she walked towards them. Din and the other Mandalorian seemed to slip into an almost deferential position in contrast to their bravado of the moment before. This had to be the leader Din had spoken of before, his _alor_. 

The leader tilted her head interestedly and Tali had the unpleasant feeling that she was under a magnifying lens. “This is the one you spoke of before, on Nevarro?” 

Din nodded. “This is Talise Osira. She’s been training both myself and my Foundling to protect our minds. I am in her debt.” Tali looked quickly at him but he kept his visor forward. 

The female Mandalorian nodded slowly. “Very well. Follow me.” 

Din motioned to Tali and she hurried forward to his side, keeping the kid tucked close to her. They followed the tribe’s leader down another corridor and she heard the muffled sound of voices from ahead, resolving itself into a common area to the left. As they passed, the three armored Mandalorians sitting at a table looked over and the conversation stopped. 

Tali paused, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. Their armor was colored differently and had slight variations but all showed signs of heavy use, scratches and dents. Even at ease within the safety of the Covert they were all armed with blasters or batons, and a rifle leaned against a nearby chair. 

“Come on, Tali.” Din said quietly, putting a hand on her back to urge her forward. She peeked over her shoulder as they continued past the common area and saw three helmets tracking her movements, the motion at odds with their otherwise unmoving forms. Her instincts screamed for her to run back to the safety of the ship but she fought the fear down, taking strength from Din’s hand resting lightly on her lower back. _Don’t show weakness._

They made a few more turns before the gold-helmeted Mandalorian stopped and gestured at a door to their left.

“It’s late, we will speak tomorrow.” She turned to Din. “The _aruteii_ is your responsibility.” 

Din nodded and the _alor_ turned to walk away, her quiet steps fading quickly. 

As soon as the door was closed Tali blew out a heavy breath, pulling the kid out of the sling and putting him down on the bed. He immediately lowered himself to the floor to begin exploring.

“I don’t think the big guy likes me very much. Or your leader.” She joked, fingers trembling as she tried to pick out the knot in her scarf. She let out a frustrated huff and Din brushed her fingers aside to deftly untie it. 

“Don’t take it personally, he doesn’t like anyone. And the _alor_ is...the _alor_.” 

Tali paced over to the two doors in the room. One led to a small refresher, the other to a second sleeping room. She wavered for a moment before walking into the dark second room and dropping her bag on the floor. A shadow fell over her as Din stepped into the doorway. 

“Are you alright?” He started to reach out to her but she stepped back and gave him an apologetic smile. 

“Just tired. I’m going to sleep, okay? You’ll be okay with Kou tonight?” He nodded, hand dropping back to his side. 

“‘Night.” Tali closed the door without waiting to hear his response and felt her way over to sit with her back against the bed, shivering slightly. She tried to focus on what she could feel around her but could only hear her blood pounding in her ears. 

_Just breathe_. 

Pulling off her boots she tossed them away from her, taking large gulps of air now. The dark felt like a living thing pressing in and she tried not to think about just how much rock was overhead. 

_You’re safe._

She pulled her scarf around her shoulders and leaned her head against the wall beside her. Curling into herself, she heard only her own shuddering breaths echoing off the stone around her. 

_You can do this._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando’a:  
>  _Aruetii_ \- outsider, foreigner, traitor (very context dependent)  
>  _Al’verde_ \- commander/captain  
>  _Alor_ \- leader, chief
> 
> I didn't expect to be writing Tali quite so close to home in the next few chapters but the dam is going to break for her sooner or later, just like it does for us all. Sometimes we can push through difficult situations on the "just keep going and deal with it later" logic, but eventually it starts to leak through. When it does, it's hard to remember that our feelings of fear or uncertainty or hurt are valid.


	12. Tionas'a - (n) questions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Courage doesn’t happen when you have all the answers. It happens when you are ready to face the questions you have been avoiding your entire life.” - S.L. Adler
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a Translations (up front since there's a number of them):  
>  _Mirshmur’cya_ \- Keldabe kiss - slang for headbutt (lit. brain-kiss)  
>  _Ad/Ad’ika_ \- child  
>  _Buir_ \- parent  
>  _Beroya_ \- bounty hunter  
>  _Al’verde_ \- commander/captain  
>  _Copik’la_ \- cute/charming (only to be used with babies or animals)  
>  _Alor_ \- leader, chief  
>  _Osik_ \- shit  
>  _Kotep_ \- brave, plucky  
>  _Su cuy’gar, vod_ \- hello, brother (lit. you’re still alive)  
>  _Baar’ur_ \- medic  
>  _Or’dinii_ \- moron, fool  
>  _Mesh’la troan_ \- pretty face  
> 

Tali woke to light knocking on the door and groaned as she sat up. She’d thought her bunk on the _Crest_ was bad but sleeping on a stone floor made it feel like a feather bed at a Canto Bight resort. Maybe tonight she'd stick to the actual bed. The knocking sounded again as she levered herself off the floor.

“Yeah yeah, hang on.” Grimacing at the ache in her back, Tali opened the door. Din stood on the other side, his helmet performing the familiar up-down motion as he looked her over. He hesitated. 

_Gods, do I look that bad?_

“Morning. What’s up?” She asked, sweeping her hair out of her face. 

“I got breakfast for us. And the _alor_ wants to speak with you.” Tali nodded and moved to the ‘fresher, yawning largely as she did. The cold water on her face was a shock but did the job of waking her. She changed and returned to Din’s room, where he handed her a ceramic bowl filled with steaming beige... _something_. Tali’s stomach was growling enough that she grabbed it and spooned some up, not questioning what it was. 

She started to feel human again as she ate. Taking another bite, she swallowed before speaking. “So what does she want to talk to us about?” 

Din looked up from his place on the floor with the kid, color stick in hand and an unintelligible sketch on the paper in front of him. “Not to us. To you.” 

“Lovely.” Tali muttered through another mouthful of hot grains. She put the bowl down once it was empty, resisting the urge to lick it clean.

“Alright. Let’s get this over with.” She pulled her vest on against the persistent chill of the stone tunnels and turned back to Din. Kou was now balanced on the space between the Mandalorian’s pauldron and his helmet, looking extremely pleased with himself, and she smiled in spite of her anxiety. 

“At least he doesn’t have to worry about anybody not liking him. Who could say no to that face?” Tali rose up on her toes to scratch his head and felt Din’s hand settle on her waist as she did. 

“They’re just being cautious. The Tribe has lost a lot, and the _alor_ is charged with making decisions to ensure its safety. She just wants to be sure it’s the right decision.” 

She let her hand rest on his bicep as she looked at him. 

“Is it the right decision?” 

He answered immediately. “Yes.” 

Tali went up on tiptoe to bump her forehead gently to his helmet. “I can understand being cautious. Take me to her.” 

  
  


⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

  
  


Din felt a rush of warmth towards her as she gave him a quick _mirshmur’cya_ , knowing that underneath Tali’s tremulous smile she was deeply unsettled. Walking through the Covert the previous evening had been a new experience for him. Aside from Paz’s usual hostility, he’d felt comfortable walking into the new Covert. Regardless of where the Tribe went, regardless of how few of them there were, Din always had a sense of safety whenever he returned to the Covert. He’d been relieved to recognize three members of the Tribe, who’d evidently been off-world during the attack, in the common area. 

When Tali had stopped, it had taken him a moment to realize she was frozen in fear rather than interest and he’d seen what this must look like to an outsider. The quiet hostility in the armor and clearly displayed weapons, and the single-minded attention to a potential threat. She had been on edge the rest of the night and he hadn’t questioned her need for time alone. 

The Forge was still in the process of being set up but the familiar circular centerpiece and hood were in place. The Armorer stood with her back to them, pulling items from a crate in the corner. He knelt and waited, Tali following his example. The _ad’ika_ seemed to sense the solemnity of it and remained settled in Din’s arms, satisfying himself by looking around with wide eyes. 

The Armorer’s voice broke the silence. “You may take your _ad_ and go, _beroya_. I wish to speak with her alone.” 

Din stood immediately and saw Tali turn her head quickly towards him as he did. There was barely concealed panic in her eyes and he let his hand brush lightly over her shoulder as he turned to go. He felt guilty leaving her, but knew this was a condition of Tali being allowed to stay in the Covert. The Armorer turned as he started to leave. 

“I believe the _al’verde_ wishes to speak with you.” Din inclined his head respectfully and left. The kid squirmed in his grasp and made a low concerned sound.

“She’ll be fine, we’ll see her later.” Din told him, giving him a reassuring squeeze. 

Din moved through the unfamiliar corridors towards the sound of voices and activity. As usual, the loudest voice was the Tribe’s _al’verde_ , Paz Vizla.

“The _alor_ said you were looking for me?” Din asked.

“Did you bring any supplies?” The infantryman said without preamble. 

“I’ve got rations and a few other items.” 

Paz nodded. “I’ll send Cyzlast to meet you at the _Crest_ and bring it all up. Do you have any medicine?” 

“Standard medpack, nothing beyond that.”

“Bring it anyway.” He started to turn away. 

“Are there injuries?” Din asked. 

“One of the Foundlings is sick.” Paz turned back just as the kid whined at not being allowed to get down and explore. He looked down at the kid who, to his credit, looked straight back with curious eyes. “This is your Foundling?” 

He reached a massive hand out to touch one of the soft green ears and Din restrained himself from slapping Paz’s hand away. 

“Yes.” 

“ _Copik’la_. Any reason he’s not with the others?” 

“The...others?” Din struggled to comprehend the question. 

Paz repeated the question more slowly, tilting his head in a way that made Din’s teeth grind. “Any reason he’s not with the other Foundlings? Can’t get what we need done if you’re carting around a little one.” 

Din stood stunned for a moment. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t this. Paz sighed impatiently.

“Look Djarin, we’ve all been the anxious first-time _buir_ , alright? But you know you’ve got to let go at some point. He’ll enjoy playing with the others.” Din didn’t correct him on the assumption that his hesitation was due to nerves but instead nodded.

“Where did they set up the Foundling rooms?” 

Paz lifted his chin towards the tunnel further into the mountain. “Two right turns down. Bestcoff’s on duty.” 

Din smiled slightly. “You put Bestcoff on Foundling duty? It’ll be a miracle if they’re all still alive by nightfall.” Din heard a rumble that could’ve been laughter from the larger Mandalorian as he continued down the corridor, listening for the sound of children playing. 

  
  


⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

  
  


Tali resisted the urge to shift on the hard stone floor. The Armorer came to sit across from her and looked her over carefully. Anxiety twisted her stomach before she remembered Din’s words to her the previous evening. Tali set her jaw and stared straight back, maintaining a neutral expression. 

The _alor_ spoke finally, her modulated voice steady. “The Mandalorian sought you out to instruct his Foundling in the ways of the Force.” 

When she didn’t continue, Tali cast around for the right words. 

“He didn’t exactly seek _me_ out. He...the Mandalorian visited Maz’s place on Takodana asking about a Force teacher. Maz asked me if I’d be willing to step in.” Tali couldn’t say what made her keep from using Din’s name, but something in the way he’d told her, that they’d gone so many weeks without her knowing it, and the fact that she had been told no one’s name since arriving at the Covert the previous evening made her hesitate. 

“Why you?" 

“Sorry?” 

“Why did she ask you specifically?”

“Um.” _Maker, I asked Maz the same question,_ she thought to herself. “I...Maz knows that I’ve got experience in mental shielding and she thought I’d be a good fit, I suppose.” 

“And are you a good fit?” The Mandalorian asked. 

“I...yes?” Tali struggled to keep her face neutral as her mind raced. “Things have been going well. They’ve both made good progress in putting together strong shields to keep others out. The--” 

“Others?”

Tali shrugged. “Well, my hunch is if the Imps are searching for a Force-sensitive child, especially one as strong as he is, it’s not far-fetched to think they’ve got someone to train him. Depending on how strong that person is, it’s possible they could try to reach him through his mind.” 

“Have there been any attempts at this type of attack?” 

“Yes. I’ve felt two since I started traveling with them. I believe it’s been the same source both times, but I don’t know who it is.” 

The Armorer sat back slightly. “They shielded themselves from these attacks?” 

Tali hesitated. “Not...exactly. My shields deflected the intrusions.”

“You protected them?”

“Yes. It seemed like a good idea to have protection over them while they’re still learning.” 

“Do your companions know this?” 

“About the two attempts? I--” The _alor_ interrupted her again. 

“That you have been shielding them.” 

“Oh. No. He doesn’t know.” Tali answered awkwardly. 

“Why did you decide not to tell him?” The _alor_ ’s voice was intrigued.

“I didn’t really _decide_ not to tell him, I just...I don’t know.” Tali gestured helplessly. The conversation had taken a hard left out of her comfort zone. “They were both working hard, so it wasn’t like it would’ve served a purpose beyond worrying him.”

“And your decision to hide your past with Black Sun?” 

Tali’s eyes darted to the emotionless surface of the _alor_ ’s visor. “What?” Ice had filled her veins. _He told her. Din told her._

The Mandalorian reached out a gloved hand and gestured to the leather cord around Tali's left wrist. “You decided to leave Black Sun, but you haven’t made the decision to remove their mark. Why?” 

“I left for my own reasons. With all due respect, I don’t see how my mark is relevant to this conversation.” She tried to keep the bitterness in her voice to a minimum. 

"It is all relevant." The _alor_ tilted her head. “What do you want, Talise Osira?” 

“I...” Tali trailed off, completely lost at this point. 

The woman looked back at her, waiting. Tali sighed. "I couldn’t live with the things I was doing for Black Sun so I left, and I ran as far from them as I could. Takodana seemed as good a place to hide as any. And then your Mandalorian showed up and Maz asked me and...I don’t know, it was an opportunity to do something good, so I went with it. But I have no credentials, nothing that makes me special or specifically suited to do this. I just want to help, rather than hide.” 

“Is that your desire or your obligation?” 

“I don’t...it’s--I want to help.” She felt she was giving all the wrong answers, even with no discernible reaction from her questioner.

“This desire to help. Does it stem from these actions you say you could not live with?” 

“Somewhat. I...I got close to an edge that I didn’t know if I could come back from. I try to do as much as I can now to keep away from it.” Tali was getting the impression that this conversation had never been about teaching the kid.

“If every action you take is to draw you away from the edge you walked with Black Sun, why have you not removed their brand?” 

Tali responded this time without thinking. “I haven’t earned its removal yet.” 

“Who decides when its removal is earned, in your culture?” 

She swallowed hard past the knot in her throat. “There’s not--I don’t really have anyone like that.” 

The _alor_ paused for a long moment. “I see.” 

She spoke to someone behind Tali.

“Please escort her back to her room.”

Tali felt her shoulders tense when she turned and saw the same Mandalorian with blue armor that had confronted them the previous evening looming in the doorway. 

The _alor_ spoke and she turned back to face her. “I see no obstacle to your stay here, you pose no threat to the Covert. For the time being however, please do not leave your room unescorted.” Unsure whether she was more confused at the abrupt dismissal or relieved to be released, Tali nodded and stood, her legs protesting at the extended stay on her knees. 

She turned back at the doorway. “Thank you. For letting me stay.” The Armorer nodded once and returned to her unpacking. 

The Mandalorian walked quickly enough that Tali had to hurry to keep up.

"It’s kind of the Tribe to allow me to stay here." Tali said, making an attempt at polite conversation.

His voice echoed slightly in the empty corridor as they moved away from the Forge room. "You should know that the only reason you are allowed to remain here is because the _alor_ wills it so.” 

Tali heard the clear message behind his words. _We don't want you here._

She pushed down the hot shame of rejection and kept her voice neutral. “I don’t want to make trouble for anyone. I’m not your enemy.” 

He stopped and turned to her, visor tilting down to meet her gaze. Fear flared in her as he stepped closer and her back hit stone. His voice was clipped but not angry. 

“Let me be clear. Whether you want to make trouble doesn’t matter. Your Force decides what will and will not be for you. _Jeti_ , _darjetii_ , they both thought they were in control, and in the end they were all just tools. You think you control the weapon, but you _are_ the weapon. It’s in your nature. Your kind brings destruction with you wherever you go.” 

He stepped back and continued walking. Shaken, Tali took a moment to catch up with him and remained silent as they moved down the corridors. When the Mandalorian stopped Tali almost ran into him, unsure how he had even recognized the door or the corridor from all other identical ones. He gestured her inside but put a booted foot against the door when she attempted to close it. 

“You are not to leave this room. Understood?” Tali nodded, jaw set, and he pulled his foot back. She resisted slamming the door, barely, and instead paced around the small confines of the room. 

There hadn’t been hatred in the Mandalorian’s voice, just cold fact. He truly believed that she was dangerous simply because she could use the Force, that it was something that controlled her. What had he seen to give him that idea? She’d known that she had to get away from Black Sun and what she was doing, but had that been because she was losing her control over it?

_I got close to an edge that I didn’t know if I could come back from. I try to do as much as I can now to keep away from it._

It had felt at the time as if the decision to use the Force for the wrong reasons was becoming easier and easier to make, but what if it had never been her decision at all? 

  
  
  


⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

  
  


Din could see the flash of green from Vir Cyzlast’s armor as he rounded the edge of the mountain and the _Crest_ came into view, tucked away behind jagged rocks. The Mandalorian was walking slowly around the ship, the tracking up and down of his visor visible even from a distance as he checked the surface for damage. As Din approached, the man looked up. 

“Lotta carbon scoring on her, Djarin.” He ran a gloved hand over the hull as he walked to the back of the ship. “Still looks like she’s in good shape though.” 

“Gets me where I need to be.” Din replied, inputting the sequence on his vambrace to open the cargo door. Vir walked up into the ship after him. 

“First day leaving the new _ad_ with the others, huh?” He asked easily. 

Din stuttered for a moment. “Uh, yes.” 

“How are things with him? This is your first, right?” Din pulled an empty crate over to the galley area and the two of them began packing the rations into it. 

“Yes. It’s still very new.” 

Vir nodded understandingly. “Yeah, it’s kind of a mess for the first bit, but you’ll get it.” He chuckled, the sound still warm through the modulator. “ _Osik_ , I remember when I brought Elli home and she just _wouldn’t stop crying_. I thought I was going to lose my mind.” 

Din felt himself relaxing. It had always been difficult to stay uptight around Vir. “As soon as I feel like I’m getting the hang of it, something else comes up.” 

“Sounds about right.” Vir said. They hefted the now-packed crate out of the ship and onto the ground outside. As Din turned to go back into the ship, Vir tilted his head slightly. 

" _Alor_ mentioned that there was something…different about your _ad_. Him and the _aruteii_ both.” Din stopped on the ramp and turned to face Vir, feeling tension coil in his stomach again. 

“What did she say?”

Vir shrugged. “Just that. That he was a Foundling but he was a little different, and that’s why you were bringing an _aruteii_ with you.” 

Din could almost feel his curiosity and couldn’t say he was surprised. Mandalorians were notorious with gossip; a secret told in one end of the covert in the morning would be thoroughly discussed at the other before midday. He sighed and continued into the ship. _They’re going to find out sometime_. 

“He...has abilities.” Din said. “I’ve never seen anything like it before. He can lift things, with his...mind.” He heard a small sound of surprise from behind him as he bent over a storage compartment. 

“Huh. Well. That’s--that’s unusual.” Vir’s voice was politely incredulous. Din couldn’t resist a snort.

“Yeah.” He responded, picking up a box and passing it over to the other Mandalorian. “Picked up some datapads for the _ade_ , they’re older but should still work alright.” 

“Oh good. Elli and Lan and the others will be over the stars, they’ve been bored to tears. And I know _A_ _lor_ wants to keep things as normal for them as possible after...” He looked down at the box in his hands before raising it slightly. “Well. In any case, they’ll be much appreciated.” 

Din collected the onboard medpack from the refresher and started to follow Vir out of the ship. Looking around, he hesitated for a moment before sliding the cracked case with Tali’s instrument in it out of its corner. Vir gave the case a curious look when he came down the ramp but didn’t ask about it as they started working their way back up to the Covert with the supplies. 

“So the _aruteii_ , she’s got the same abilities as him?” 

“More or less, yeah. She’s been teaching him to control them.” Din didn’t mention her lessons to him. The last thing he needed was for Vir to start spreading it around that Tali was giving him private lessons. 

“So is it the kind of thing she can use in a fight?” Vir asked, pausing to readjust his grip on the rations crate. 

“She can, but only under certain conditions. She’s got to be touching them for it to work.” 

“Huh. Is she any kind of fighter without it?” 

“Actually, in the first few days a hunter tracked us down and got on the ship while I was on a job. She tried to fight him off with a hydrospanner.” 

Vir let out a bark of laughter. “How’d that go?” 

“When I got back he had her in a wrist lock but she was still protecting the kid. To be honest, I was impressed.” 

“ _Kotep._ ” 

Din grunted in agreement as they maneuvered around the large rock hiding the Covert entrance. Vir paused to catch his breath. 

“Well, it’s good you’ve brought your _ad_ home. Gives the others an opportunity to get to know him. Strange powers or not he’s still a Foundling, and one of ours.” 

Something tight took hold inside Din’s chest, strangling any words he could’ve gotten out in reply. He settled for a nod, hoping Vir understood. 

He helped the older Mandalorian get the crate of rations to the new mess hall and left the box of datapads with him. Taking the medpack and Tali’s instrument, he made his way back to their rooms. It was just far enough out of the way from the main area to provide natural isolation from the other parts of the Covert, something Din was sure wasn’t a coincidence. 

Tali came out into the main room when he entered, brow furrowing slightly as she looked him over. 

“Where’s Kou?” 

Din put the medpack down on the table. “He’s with the other Foundlings. Behaving himself, hopefully.” 

Tali nodded, and he held up her instrument in his other hand. Her face lit up and she reached out immediately. She almost seemed to cradle the instrument before looking back at him. “Thank you.” 

“Figured it could help take up some time.” 

“Yes, it’s really...thank you.” She sat, still holding the case. “How are things going out there?” 

“Just got supplies unloaded from the _Crest_. Wanted to grab the medpack, one of the Foundlings is sick and we don’t have the right medicine.” 

“Oh.” She put the instrument down on the bed, her expression sympathetic. “Do you think...would they be willing to let me…Maz told you I can heal, right?” 

He tilted his head in thought. “Huh, I’d forgotten. We haven’t had much need for it up to now. I can suggest it to the _alor._ ” 

She nodded. “Alright. I figure there’s no harm in offering, right?” 

Din nodded. “I’ve got to go take care of a few things. You’ll be alright here?” 

“Yeah. I’ve been planning new lessons for Kou.” A few strands of hair were beginning to come out of her neat bun and he resisted the urge to lean down and tuck them behind her ear. 

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.” 

  
  


* * * * * * *

Din knocked on the door painted with two lines wrapping around a red mythosaur skull, Paz beside him. He heard quiet footsteps on the other side before a slightly shorter man opened it. Nicom, the Tribe’s _baar’ur_ , had the same symbol that was on the door painted on his cuirass. 

“ _Su cuy’gar_ , _vod_.” The medic’s voice was warm as he clapped Din on the shoulder. 

“ _Su cuy’gar_. I’m glad to see you here.” Din held out the medpack to him. 

“It’s just a standard issue medpack but take whatever you need.” Din said, moving to the only occupied bed in the infirmary. A girl of maybe ten lay sleeping under crisp white sheets. He recognized her as one of the Foundlings adopted on Nevarro, barely four years old when she was brought to the Covert, all bruises and scared brown eyes. 

“Mayta…” He remembered dodging out of the way of the dark-haired girl as she sprinted after another Foundling on his last return to the old Covert. She had never been afraid to bother the Tribe’s _beroya_ for a story or details on his latest travels. 

Nicom put the medpack down with a sigh, having found nothing useful inside to treat the infection, and came to stand next to Din. 

“She cut herself playing in the tunnels with the other Foundlings and didn’t say anything to anyone. We didn’t find it until she started running a fever a few days later. Bacta spray took care of the external damage but the infection had already taken hold by then.” 

The girl breathed shallowly, an unhealthy flush to her dark skin. 

“I’ve done what I can but without the right meds...there’s not much more I can do besides keep her comfortable and hydrated.” The medic’s voice was tight with worry. Nicom was younger than Din but had been with the Tribe through the adoption of all five Foundlings and had treated their bumps and bruises and broken bones more times than Din could count. 

“There’s another possibility.” 

Nicom turned to look at Din. Avoiding Paz’s visorline, Din continued. 

"The woman with me, Talise, can heal. With the Force. She’s offered to look at Mayta and see if--”

“Are you insane?” Paz stepped forward, his voice pitched low. “You want to expose one of an _ad_ to that? She’s not sick enough already?” 

Din gritted his teeth. “She just wants to help. I’ve seen this work before, sometimes it’s the only thing that _can_ help.” 

Paz scoffed. “Just because you’re foolish enough to trust the first _mesh’la_ _troan_ who lays you doesn’t mean the rest of us are. How did she manage to convince you? Did she ensnare your mind with her abilities or did she use some other means? She’s a pretty little thing, I bet she’s got a few tricks up her--” 

Din swung for him, vibroblade in hand. Paz’s hand slammed down on his arm, his other hand drawing back. 

Nicom’s disgusted voice cut through the haze of anger. “Stop! This is ridiculous!’ Paz dropped his hand and Din stepped back, still breathing quickly. Nicom put a gentle hand on Din’s shoulder and he resisted the urge to shrug it off. 

“Djarin, I appreciate the offer but we’re not there yet.” The _baar’ur_ ’s voice was quiet. “If we get there, I’ll let you know.” 

Din looked back over at the sleeping Foundling and then back at Paz, knowing the older man had been trying to goad him into a fight. He stalked out of the infirmary but not before he heard Paz’s low mutter of “ _Or’dinii_ ” behind him.

He spent the rest of the afternoon helping clean out some of the older areas of the former base-turned-Covert, taking advantage of the solitary nature of the task to work through his anger. Dusty and tired, he snagged rations for the three of them and returned to pick the kid up from the Foundling room, where Bestcoff informed him that he’d been a little quiet but well-behaved. Din couldn’t hold back his sigh of relief, he wasn’t sure how well he could’ve dealt with more questions. 

He could hear music as he approached their rooms. Tali sat cross-legged on his bed, delicate fingers fanned over the strings of her instrument. She smiled widely when she saw the _ad’ika_ , who immediately reached for her. Din passed him over and moved to prep the rations. There was silence for a moment behind him before he heard Tali stifle a laugh. Turning, he saw the kid snuggled into her lap, claws wrapped one of her thumbs and ears up excitedly. 

Din smiled under the helmet. “What’s he showing you?”

“He’s telling me about the other Foundlings. The two younger ones let him play with them, apparently the older ones are boring.” Tali snorted. “He wants to bring his krill with him next time.” She looked up at him, smiling gently. “He missed you though. Wondered where you were and why you couldn’t stay to play too.” 

“Sorry _ad’ika_ , I had some things to take care of today.” Din said, dumping the heated rations into bowls. 

“Were you able to find anything to help out the other Foundling? The sick one?” Tali asked. 

He shook his head. “No. She cut herself playing and it looks like she’s got an infection now. Bacta took care of the cut but we don’t have enough to control the infection. And we’ve got nothing else. Our medic hasn’t had a chance to restock since they relocated.” 

Tali hesitated. “Did you ask if they’d allow--” The question wasn’t out of her mouth before Din was shaking his head. 

“They’re not open to the idea right now. If they change their minds, they know where to find us.” 

Tali’s good mood seemed to ebb as she and the _ad’ika_ ate. Din watched her carefully; she had shadows under her eyes and he noticed her flinch at the smallest of sounds. She was clearly still feeling uncomfortable, even in a closed room with only him and the kid. 

“Did your talk with the _alor_ clear everything up?” He asked.

Tali lowered her spoon and after a moment pushed the bowl away from her. 

“Not really. She asked me a lot of questions that made no sense. Mostly about my past.” She folded her arms and sat back, looking at him. “You told her about Black Sun.” 

“Yes.” Din said warily. “But only her, and I made it clear that it wasn’t information to be shared with others.”

“You could’ve asked me first.” 

“You were unconscious.” 

Her eyes narrowed. “That’s not an excuse.” 

“It was non-negotiable, Tali. It wasn’t something I could withhold.” He had the urge to stand and pace, anything to escape the betrayed look in her eyes. 

“And it’s just that simple to you?”

Din sighed. “Yes. It is. I understand why you’re upset. If you had been conscious I would’ve told you, but she needed to know the whole truth to make an informed decision on whether it was safe to allow you here. She has to make decisions to protect the Tribe’s safety.”

As he spoke, the emotion slipped from Tali’s eyes and her expression became neutral. It was a startling return to the face she had worn when she’d first begun traveling with them. The kid looked from Din to Tali, his ears down and his eyes concerned. 

“I understand.” She said, her voice level. “Your allegiance is to your people, they come first. They should come first.” 

Din struggled to read any meaning beyond the words, accustomed at this point to using her expressions to gauge any hidden meaning and pulling nothing from her blank face. 

He drew in a breath.

“I put the Tribe in danger once by withholding information, and it led the Empire right to them. I won’t make that mistake again.” 

Tali looked at him for a long moment before she finally stood and pushed back her chair. 

“I understand.” She just looked tired now, the shadows under her eyes seeming to drain the color from her face. 

Din felt like she was slipping away from him, shutting off every small piece of herself that she’d allowed him to see. 

“Tali.” She stopped at the doorway to her room. “This is the safest place for us to be right now.” 

The shadows under her eyes seemed darker as she looked back at him, but she said nothing and the door slid closed behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My interpretation of the Covert is a fairly militaristic one, so if it sounds familiar to that life, that’s why.  
> I think it's important to note that while Din knows rationally that the Empire would've come after the Tribe regardless of whether he told them he was taking back the Child, he would likely have a lot of "what if I had done X differently" in the days after Nevarro.


	13. Atiniir - (v) to endure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tali changes some minds. Din makes some decisions. Vir and the Child are the only two with any sense.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “No person, trying to take responsibility for his or her identity, should have to be so alone. There must be those among whom we can sit down and weep, and still be counted as warriors.” - Adrienne Rich
> 
> Mando’a:  
>  _Al’verde_ \- captain, commander  
>  _Alor_ \- leader, chief  
>  _Kyr’tsad_ \- Death Watch (lit. Death Society), an arguably fundamentalist, paramilitary breakaway Mandalorian sect; from what we know Din was raised by Death Watch  
>  _Jetii_ \- Jedi/Force User  
>  _Mando’ade_ \- Mandalorians (lit. children of Mandalore)  
>  _Beroya_ \- bounty hunter  
>  _Baar’ur_ \- medic  
>  _Aruteii_ \- outsider, foreigner, traitor (heavily context dependent)  
>  _Ad'e_ \- kids  
>  _Buir_ \- parent

“Tali?” Din’s voice was muffled as he knocked on the door between their adjoining rooms. Tali stumbled to the door, certain it couldn’t have been more than a few hours since she’d laid down to sleep. 

She squinted at him in the dim light. “What’s wrong? Is Kou okay?” 

He shook his head. “It’s the Foundling. She’s worse. The medic wants to know if your offer still stands, he doesn’t think she’s going to make it.” 

Tali threw her vest over her sleep clothes and shoved her feet into her boots. Pulling her hair back into a long tail, she hurried out into Din’s room. A Mandalorian in white armor with green accents stood in the corridor outside his door. 

“You’re the medic?” Tali asked, stretching her legs to keep up with his longer strides as they headed deeper into the tunnels. Din followed behind them, Kou awake and curious in his arms.

“Yes.” The medic’s voice was lighter than Din’s and he sounded younger. “You’re a healer?” 

“I’m not all that powerful but I helped out in the villages around my home. I can’t promise it’ll work but…” 

“At this point, I’m willing to try just about anything.” 

The medic led them down several hallways and further into the mountain. Tali lost track of where they were quickly as she hurried to keep up. They finally reached a small, neat infirmary, barely more than a few beds and a surgical table. Tali kept the medic between herself and the table as they passed it, quiet echoes of Coruscant in the back of her mind. She pushed the thoughts to the back of her mind as they approached the only occupied bed in the room. 

A girl stirred restlessly under a stack of blankets, a light sheen of sweat on her face. Tight, dark curls fuzzed over the pillow. Tali’s stomach clenched when she heard the girl’s shallow breaths. She knelt beside the bed and instinctively reached for the girl’s hand when she heard footsteps behind her. Turning, she saw that the _alor_ and the Mandalorian she’d referred to as the _al’verde_ had entered silently behind them and now stood next to Din and the medic. Tali felt a tightening behind her sternum and forced the anxiety down. 

“I need to touch her skin to heal her. Is that alright?” She asked carefully, leaning back from the bed and keeping her hands clearly in view. 

“Yes.” The _alor_ replied.

“May I ask her name?” Tali asked. 

The _al’verde_ stepped forward, his tone sharp. “Why do you need to know that?” 

A retort almost tumbled past her lips and she bit her tongue before it escaped her, Maz’s voice whispering in her mind. _There are many who have been hurt by those who use the Force for personal gain. There is always a chance to open their minds_ _and show them the Force can be used for good._

Tali turned her head to look at him but kept her voice level and polite. “It’s possible she’ll be able to feel me. If she does, I’d like her to hear her own name, and not just some stranger calling her 'girl'. People respond better to familiarity in situations like this, particularly children.” 

“Mayta.” The _alor_ ’s voice was quiet but cut off any further argument from the blue-armored Mandalorian. “Her name is Mayta.” 

“Thank you.” Tali breathed out a sigh of relief, turning back to the girl. She settled herself more comfortably and rested her other hand on the girl’s forehead. 

Tali reached out and felt the familiar warmth of the Force, like it had been waiting for her. There was something comforting about it, like stepping into a stream on a hot day. She could feel it running through her limbs, through the Mandalorians behind her, and the girl in front of her. Letting herself sink deeper into it, she felt the current of it running strong through the stone around them and down into the bedrock of the mountain below. She focused back on the current running through Mayta, and let herself step into it. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

The Force had not been with the Vizla clan. They had seen what the supposed light side of the Force was capable of, and had chosen to put their faith in one who said he did not follow that path. A warrior like them, they thought. One of honor, who would hand the rule of Mandalore back to those who followed the Way when all was said and done. In the end, Maul had shown himself to be another pawn to the Force and had only delivered yet another war and more suffering to Mandalore, the same as every other _jetii_ had before him. 

Paz knew that most of the old stories were more myth than truth, and that the downfall of _Kyr’tsad_ and the Vizla clan had come more from bad alliances than anything else. Add to that the coming of the Empire, and clan Vizla had become refugees from the Purge with the other _Mando’ade_. But the instinctive mistrust of those who had access to powers beyond the normal was hard to shake, and Paz felt himself stiffen instinctively as the women laid her hand on Mayta’s forehead and arm.

He felt the _alor_ turn her head slightly towards him and he knew she shared his discomfort with the situation. The air in the room shifted slightly, as if from a draft, and under his armor he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. 

The small woman tilted her head slightly, the hand on Mayta’s arm moving slowly up to the site of the original injury. When she spoke her voice was distant, as if part of her consciousness had somehow taken a step onto a parallel plane. 

“It’s reached her heart. No tissue dieoff yet, but she’s weak.” At this Nicom moved forward to stand beside her. Paz couldn’t help but wonder what she was seeing. Could she sense the diseased blood flowing through Mayta’s veins? Was she feeling the fatigued heart muscle struggling to keep up? 

“Can you fix the damage? Get rid of the infection?” He could hear the hope in the _baar’ur_ ’s voice. 

“Trying. I need to move slow so I don’t cause any clots.”

The woman shifted and Paz could see part of her face now, pinched in concentration. Silence fell in the infirmary, broken by Mayta’s shallow breaths. Paz could see tension in the hand Talise had on the Foundling’s arm. Nicom went to one knee next to the woman but didn’t touch her or the Foundling, instead keeping his hands in fists on his cuisses. 

Paz held back from moving forward himself, caught between doubt and hope. After they’d lost so many, to lose a young one would be all the more devastating. If this _aruteii_ could heal her, Paz swore to Issik that he’d reconsider his position on her and the abilities she possessed, Force be damned. 

Finally Talise sat back, breathing hard as she lifted her hands from Mayta’s arm and forehead. She sounded exhausted.

“Alright. I think I got it all...she needs fluids though. If she starts breathing better in the next hour then we’ll…” She trailed off as she started to rise and swayed alarmingly, turning to Din. Her face was stark white, the freckles across her nose and cheeks starkly noticeable even in the dim light of the infirmary. Din’s Foundling made a low worried noise and squirmed to be put down. The hunter put him down gently and stood again.

“Din? Think I may need to sit--” Paz started with surprise at her words and the _beroya_ stepped forward quickly to catch her as her eyes rolled back and she collapsed. He laid her on the next bed over from Mayta and stripped off a glove to check her pulse. The strange little Foundling immediately attempted to scale the bed to reach her before the hunter picked him back up and placed him on the blanket. 

“She’s alright, just tired.” He spoke more to the Foundling than the other Mandalorians, and Paz didn’t miss the concern in Din’s voice or the fact that the normally stiff _beroya_ ’s body language was exceedingly gentle. His comment earlier to Din had been a shot in the dark, but hearing that he’d given her his name and seeing how carefully he touched her, maybe he hadn’t been far off the mark. 

Having checked on Mayta, Nicom moved to grab a medi-scanner but Din was already shaking his head. 

“She just needs to rest. I’ve seen this before.” 

Nicom stepped back. “Do you want to keep her here overnight?” 

Din hesitated before shaking his head. “No. Given everything...I think it’s best if she’s with me and the _ad’ika_ when she wakes up.” While the hunter didn’t look directly at Paz, he heard the unspoken accusation in his words. The _alor_ spoke from where she’d crouched next to Mayta’s bed, one hand on the girl’s shoulder. 

“Let her rest. When she wakes, please convey our gratitude. Regardless of what happens, she has proven herself to be an ally.” 

Din nodded and gathered Talise up, his Foundling returned to his perch on his shoulder. The woman looked even smaller in his arms. The _beroya_ shifted her so her head rested against his shoulder, nodded to Nicom and the _alor_ , and left the infirmary. 

* * * * * * *

Din let the door slide quietly shut, looking over to make sure it hadn’t disturbed Tali, who still slept. He’d placed her in his own bed late the previous evening without thinking about it and had caught a few hours of rest in the chair next to it. 

He’d finally allowed the kid to curl up and sleep between Tali’s arm and side after making certain he wasn’t in danger of waking her. He wondered if the _ad’ika_ knew the source of her exhaustion, having experienced it several times himself. 

Din knew that he had slipped in taking his glove off to check her pulse. He could easily see her vitals through his helmet display, but the need to feel her pulse beating strong under his hand had overridden sense. Between the implication in his actions and Tali’s use of his name, he suspected he would have several questions to answer from the others once Tali was recovered. 

The _alor_ had checked in an hour before to say that Mayta was doing significantly better, and that Nicom had asked her to pass on his thanks to Tali. The _al’verde_ hadn’t said a word as Din had picked Tali up and carried her out with the kid perched on his shoulder, but he had a feeling that Paz’s eyes had followed him. Both Ghex and Vir, however, had come by to ask after Tali. Din wasn’t surprised that every remaining member of the Covert knew the details of what had happened in the infirmary within a few hours. _Celiaj wants to meet her when she wakes up,_ Vir had chuckled, _I hope she knows what she’s gotten herself into_. 

Looking down at the dark shadows that had developed under her eyes in the past few days, Din knew that she’d given another piece of herself to him, and this time to his people as well. He wasn’t anything close to knowledgable about emotional relationships, but he knew that give and take was part of it. Tali’s generosity seemed to be limitless, always giving and never expecting anything in return. On top of that, the time she’d spent with him had been riddled with stress and pain as he’d subjected her to turmoil, kidnapping, and torture. Coruscant had been his fault, and he’d sat in the cockpit while she lay unconscious below, kicking himself for letting her go at all. 

He couldn’t in good faith keep taking advantage of her though, he knew that the more he took, the more he'd want. And whatever this was developing into, he had an obligation to be honest with her before it went any further. 

As if she’d heard him thinking, Tali stirred beside him, turning her head on the pillow. When she opened her eyes, the clear blue-grey of her irises seemed to draw the air from the room. 

“How is she?” Her voice was thick with sleep but she was already trying to sit up. Din pushed her gently back down. 

“Better. She’s stable now, medic thinks she’s going to pull through fine.” Looking relieved, she relaxed back into the blankets. “The Tribe is very grateful. Several of them want to speak with you when you’re feeling up to it.” 

“Least I could do when they’re giving us a safe place to stay.” Tali reached out to lay a hand on his leg and squeezed gently. 

Looking at the soft emotion in her eyes and remembering seeing it without anything between them, he knew he’d put this conversation off too long already. 

He took her hand off his leg and put it back on the blankets. “Tali, I can’t give you what you want.” 

She sat up at that, brow furrowing. “What I...what do you think I want?” 

“I just...I can’t take my helmet off.” 

“Yes, I know…” She looked confused. 

“I know you said I was the same person to you with or without it but eventually, you’re going to need more. And I can’t give that to you.” Her head jerked back as if he’d struck her, the confusion draining from her face, replaced with something darker. 

“And what, you think I’m going to ask you to abandon your faith? Your people?” Tali’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “That I’d ask you to settle down and play house with me?”

A part of his mind suggested this may not be the best way to proceed. The rest of him pushed on. “No, but...you won’t be satisfied with what I can give you. At some point, it won’t be enough. And you should be with someone who can keep you safe. Someone who won’t put you in danger, or ask you to accept things without compromise.” 

Sliding out from under the covers, she stepped back from him and he locked his hands over his knees to keep from reaching for her. _Just get it over with_. 

“Won’t be satisfied--” He could see the deep hurt in her eyes and felt a stab of guilt. “You don’t know me at all, do you? And if that’s really what you think of me...” 

“I didn’t mean--” 

Tali snapped her eyes back to him. They were overbright and angry. 

“Yeah, you did. You meant every word. You’re a lot of things but a liar isn’t one of them, Din Djarin.” 

He opened his mouth but she was already throwing open the door and walking out, and his mind could only come up with one word. 

_Fuck._

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Tali walked down the corridor quickly, too angry to keep track of the turns she was making. She hadn’t stopped to put her boots back on but the cold under her feet helped remind her that she was awake, that this whole mess hadn’t been a dream. 

_Pretentious armored asshole. How could he possibly know what someone else wants when his head is shoved so far up his own ass he can see out his throat. As if he has any right to decide anything for me._

She didn’t even see the Mandalorian until two hands shot out to stop her. Tali yelped and barely avoided colliding with a walking mountain of blue armor. The last person she wanted to talk to. _Well, second to last._

“Sorry, sorry, didn’t see you.” She put a hand to her forehead and tried to school her features into something neutral. 

“Are you alright?” The _al’verde_ asked, visor tilting down as he drew his hands back. She got the impression her attempt at a blank face was failing and inhaled shakily. 

“No. How do I get out of here?” 

He stepped back and pointed back the way she’d come. “First left, then right and straight out.” 

“Thank you.” Tali managed, already turning around. She heard the Mandalorian ask her something else but kept walking. She had to get out of the cold stone, away from masks and gloved hands and blasters. Away from questions she couldn’t answer and ones she’d never asked. 

* * * * * * *

By the time she’d made it out of the tunnels and out into brilliant sunlight, Tali had given up on trying to maintain a semblance of calm. It hurt to breathe, like she was trying to inhale shards of glass. She climbed further up above the tunnel’s entrance, not even feeling the rocks under her feet. She hauled herself on top of a large boulder and pulled her knees in close to her chest, hiding her face against them. The smooth voice of the Agent assaulted her, dragging her away from the present. 

_All you have to do to make this all stop is tell us where they are._

Her breath stank of damp duracrete and dirty plastisteel armor and she jerked her head up. The wind was cold across her face and she breathed jaggedly. 

_When are you just going to do what you’re told, girl?_

She saw a man’s beaten and bloody body in front of her and felt the crushing grip of the lieutenant on her shoulder. Tali flinched, covering her face with her hands. She felt raw and stretched thin in too many different directions. 

_What do you want, Talise Osira?_

“I want to go home.” She whispered, the words barely audible. Where there weren’t questions she couldn’t answer and pain she couldn’t endure and expectations she couldn’t live up to. Her brother's voice whispered over the sound of harsh wind across sand and rock. 

_I guess this is home for now, Tals_. 

“What was I _thinking_ , that I could actually make a difference.” 

_Eventually, you’ll need more._

“So _stupid_.” She hissed to herself. “As if this was ever going to work.” 

_You can do so much good, Talise._

She drew the back of one hand roughly across her wet eyes and shoved her father’s memory away. Trying to do good had only ever gotten her in over her head, slapped back, and eventually, always alone. 

_You don’t have to light yourself on fire to keep others warm, Tali._

The sound of Maz’s warm voice in her mind pulled a sob from her chest, and she finally gave in and let the storm break over her. 

⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜ ⁜

Tali had lived rough her first two months on Takodana, sleeping where she could and resorting to stealing whatever food she could, or relying on the charity of kind passersby. She knew she could’ve used her abilities to get whatever she needed, but each time she started to reach for that familiar warmth her heart would pound and she would be reduced to a wheezing, panicked wreck in whatever small space was nearby.

It had hurt to realize that the same warmth she’d cherished as a child and had used to entertain her brother, or heal the many nicks and cuts on her father’s hands after a long day was now an enemy to her survival. It had hurt more to realize that there wasn’t a soul in the galaxy who gave a damn if she lived or died anymore. She comforted herself with the idea that at least being alone meant no one was left to be ashamed of what she had done in the past besides herself. 

When she had eventually found Maz and had started to come back to herself, Tali avoided the regulars at the castle, choosing instead duties out of sight or in areas with new patrons. It was easy to draw out a smile from a new face with a clever remark or a warm smile of her own, and safer to go back to her room at the end of the day knowing that no one would ask after her. 

She’d drifted, content to let Maz make decisions and to just exist in the background of life at the castle. Tali enjoyed helping the local villagers, but never felt like she had the right to stay longer than her work took. She had no place with them. When Maz had asked her to teach Kou, it hadn’t even felt like a decision; could she say no to the one favor Maz had asked her for, after helping her for nearly 10 years? On the _Crest_ it had been easy to let the Mandalorian make all the decisions on their next steps and how things went, Tali rationalizing that it was _his_ ship and therefore his right to do so. 

She’d slept on the idea of Coruscant for almost a week before she’d worked up the courage to suggest it. That it had gone so spectacularly wrong hadn’t exactly been a surprise to her, seeing where her other decisions in life had landed her. 

Tali’s chest ached. Her sinuses felt like they were plugged with duracrete, and she felt as if every nerve ending was exposed to the cold wind that whipped around the mountain. She drew in the crisp air, trying to feel it down in the depths of her lungs. She couldn’t smell the pine trees but she knew the familiar scent was there and it was a comforting thought. 

Tali looked up sharply at the sound of rock crunching and saw a Mandalorian wearing faded green armor stop below, helmet tilted up at her. She remembered him as one of the Tribe members sitting at the table the first evening they’d arrived, but hadn’t seen him since. He was shorter than Din, and built a little stockier. 

“Mind if I join you?” His voice had the lilt of a Pantoran accent. 

Tali sat up and swiped the heel of her hand quickly over her cheeks. “Uh. Sure.” He continued up the hill and pulled himself up easily to sit a foot or so away from her, boots planted on the rock’s surface. He clasped his gloved hands loosely around his bent knees and looked out over the mountainous landscape.

“You know, we didn’t have mountains like this on my home planet, or on Navarro. They make for some great views.” 

Tali inhaled shakily and looked out as well. He was right, the sun filtered across the vibrant green of the trees, and the remnants of a fog hid the tops of the mountains in white shadow. 

“My kids love coming out here to watch the sunrise. They sit on that rock down there,” He leaned to point to the large rock covering the entrance to the Covert, “and lately they’ve started getting the other _ad'e_ in on it too. You come out here and it’s just all five of ‘em squeezed together up there, thick as thieves.” Tali could hear the smile in his voice and her insides unknotted slightly.

“Two of them lost their _buir_ , their parent, in the fight on Navarro, including Mayta. All those kids have seen trauma in the last few months, but thanks to you they won’t lose one of their friends on top of it.” He turned to look at her, but Tali kept her gaze forward.

He looked back out over the mountains again and sighed. “Can’t have been easy to decide to leave your home and fly off to Maker-knows-where with strangers. Especially when you’re dealing with hunters on your tail every other day.” 

“Well, the kid’s a sweetheart. That helps.” Tali managed, hating how weak her voice sounded. 

“And his _buir_?” the Mandalorian asked lightly, gaze still forward. 

She shook her head. “I don’t know.” Tears slipped down her cheeks and she swiped angrily at them. “Sorry.” 

He hummed sympathetically. “Nothin’ to be sorry for. Seems like you’ve had a rough week.” 

Tali tried to laugh but the sound came out more like a sob. “You could say that.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “I should leave.” 

The Mandalorian looked over at her. “Why?” 

She wrapped her arms more tightly around her knees. “Because I shouldn’t even be here. I don’t belong and I’m imposing and I--I have no idea what I’m doing.” 

“Hm. Well, I hear you did a good thing for our Foundling last night. So you must have some idea.” 

“That wasn’t--” Tali closed her eyes. “Just because I do one good thing doesn’t mean it balances.” 

The Mandalorian tilted his head slightly.

“No, I suppose not. But how long are you going to keep score against yourself?” 

“As long as it takes to earn forgiveness.” The answer came as if some part of her had been waiting for the question but it felt freeing to hear herself speak the words aloud. 

“From who?” 

Tali found she had no answer to give. Arek was dead, her father was dead, and she would be long dead before she could track down every person she had ever wronged and ask for their forgiveness. 

The Mandalorian leaned back on his hands and looked at her. “May I offer you some advice?” 

She met his visorline, and somehow the black glass didn’t look as unfeeling as it did before. “Yes.”

“Forgiveness is tricky. Sometimes it’s easy enough to get from someone else and sometimes there isn’t anyone left to give it. But regardless of which it is, the most important forgiveness doesn’t come from someone else. That’s gotta come from you. The whole galaxy can forgive you, but none of it matters until you can give that peace to yourself.”

“It can’t be that easy.” Tali replied, shaking her head.

“Why not?” He asked gently. 

“Because it would mean that…” She trailed off. _That I’ve spent the last ten years waiting for something that was never going to happen?_

“You’re the only one who can make the decision on what the rest of your life will look like. That starts with finding that peace within yourself.”

His words reached a place somewhere deep and her heart clenched painfully. She felt a tearing sensation in her chest, as if she were going to start crying again.

He went on, looking back out over the mountains before them. “We’ve all done things that haunt us, but you have to give yourself the ability to move past it. Whatever happened before, you control what happens from here on out. No one else.” 

The Mandalorian sat up and brushed his gloves against each other. “Just something to think about. But I know at least two in there who don’t want you to leave.” He nodded down to the Covert entrance. “Three, if you count me.” 

He didn’t seem to expect any response from her, and Tali found she didn’t have anything to say as she watched him climb back down to the Covert entrance and disappear back into the mountain. Propping her chin on her knees, Tali let the conversation roll slowly back across her mind, staring out over the peaceful landscape.

_You’re the only one who can make the decision on what the rest of your life will look like._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Paz: “I think Djarin said something stupid to the Force girl. She looked upset.”  
> Armorer: “I have no doubt.”  
> Paz: “Well. Shouldn’t we say something?”  
> Armorer: “Al’verde, I’m the matriarch of a tribe of warriors. I’m not a relationship counselor. If you think something should be said, say it yourself.”  
> Paz: “So...just to be clear. You think I should go tell him to pull his head out of his ass and apologize. And possibly give him some cognitive recalibration if need be.”  
> Armorer: “...I take that back. I’ll say something.”


	14. Art! Din Djarin, Talise Osira, and the kiddo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Incredible art by TheFourthNorn of Din, Tali (with her co-opted 'spanner), and the kiddo!
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)


	15. Mirjahaal - (n) peace of mind, healing, general term for emotional well-being especially after a trauma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tali comes to understandings with both Paz and Din. They are rewarding in different ways.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I won't lie, this chapter fought me. First it went in a completely different direction than anticipated, and then the characters started doing things I didn't give them permission to do and...anyway. Here it is. We're in the homestretch, folks. If you're not interested in smut, peace out when the armor comes off.

Tali wasn’t sure how long she sat outside as the sun slowly turned the breeze from cool to pleasant and warmed the rock under her. When she finally slid back down to the path, her legs were stiff. Her lungs and head still ached but she felt steadier on her feet than she had since before Coruscant. 

Approaching the shadowed entrance into the Covert, she pushed away the residual dread she felt for the place. Kou was here, and the Mandalorian who’d been so kind to her, and Din. Her stomach twisted, thinking about the conversation they would need to have. 

Tali walked back into the tunnels, bare feet quiet on the stone. She’d just passed the first junction when the massive blue-armored Mandalorian came out of a door to her right. He paused when he saw her, and Tali braced herself for whatever he might come out with now.

“Where are your shoes?”

To her relief, he sounded more curious than threatening. She looked down at her scuffed feet, wiggling her toes against the smooth rock. Now that he mentioned it, Tali realized she was also in her sleeping shift. Still, nothing to be done for it now. She looked back up at him.

“I forgot them. I was a little upset.” 

The huge Mandalorian looked down at her for a long moment before sighing. “Djarin is a _di’kut_.” 

She frowned. “A what?” 

“An idiot.” 

Tali snorted. "To be fair, it wasn’t all him. But yes, maybe a little."

“Try not to hold it against him, he can’t help it. Never could, for that matter.” She heard dry humor in the Mandalorian’s voice. “Do you know how to get back? To your room?” 

Tali glanced down the corridor. “I think so. And if not--just tell the others not to shoot the woman wandering around in bare feet, if you wouldn't mind.” She’d already turned away when he spoke.

“No one will harm you here, not after what you did last night.” 

Tali looked back at him. Something told her this was as close to an apology as she would get from the Mandalorian.

She offered him a small smile. “Thank you. I’m glad I could help.” 

He nodded to her and walked away. Tali let out a breath and continued down the corridor. _One down, one to go_.

She was almost back to where she was fairly certain their rooms were when Din came around a corner, almost running into her. He put his hands out to steady her but drew them back quickly. 

“I’ve been looking for you,” his voice was sharp with concern. 

She gave him a tired smile. “I was outside. Needed some fresh air.” 

“It’s not safe to leave the Covert.” Din replied, as if reciting a mantra. He looked her up and down, and she was reminded again that she was barefoot and in her pajamas.

She gestured back the way he’d come. “Can we talk?” 

He stepped back, shoulders settling in a resigned sort of way. “Yes, of course.”

She followed him back to their rooms, which were unusually quiet. 

“Where’s Kou?” 

“With the other Foundlings. He was a little upset when you left.” Tali turned to look at him. 

“Upset?” 

“Yes. With me, I think.” There was a trace of embarrassment in his voice. “I owe you an apology.” 

She sat in the only chair and folded her hands in her lap, waiting. Din started pacing, three steps to the wall, three steps to the bed.

“I didn’t mean how any of that came out. I just--panicked.” 

“Panicked because…?” 

He ran one hand over the top of his helmet, and she imagined him raking a hand through his hair. “Because when I’m around you--I--enjoy being with you, more than I should. But I’m not in a position to--to be with someone like that.” 

It was a bit like watching someone try to climb out of a Sarlacc pit, but Tali wasn’t ready to throw him a rope. It wasn’t lost on her that he had yet to actually apologize for anything. Din looked over at her and when she said nothing he continued, frustration clear in his voice. 

“You left your life behind to help me and the kid, and all you've gotten in return is being hunted and dead ends and--” He paused to catch his breath. “Coruscant was my fault. I shouldn’t have let you go. I should’ve come with you. What they did--that’s on me.” 

He finally sat on the edge of the bed, gloved hands clasped between his knees. “That’s why I brought you here. That’s why I had to tell the _alor_ about Black Sun. I couldn’t risk something more happening to the kid or you, and I can’t think of anywhere safer for us to be than here. It was all I could give you in return for what you’ve done.” 

Tali sighed. “Din, I’ve never asked for anything in return. I--”  
  
He raised his hand. “I know. But that doesn’t mean it’s right for me to--” He bit off the end of his sentence and shook his head. 

She studied him. Din was generally collected and put-together, in control, but here he was agitated and seemingly unable to put his thoughts into words. 

“Right for you to what?” Tali asked gently. 

“To accept that without giving you anything in return. That’s not how this is supposed to work.” He shook his head again and his voice was bitter. “Maz said you had a kind heart, but I didn’t realize--you shouldn't just give like that.” 

Tali stood and took two steps to stand between his knees. She put a finger under his chin and lifted it gently until his visor met her eyes.

“I choose who I give to. And I choose carefully.” She settled her hands just inside the edges of each of his pauldrons, fingers smoothing over the soft fabric of his cloak. “I made the decision to come with you. I decided to stay after I knew there were still hunters after Kou. And you didn’t want to go to Coruscant at first, remember? I convinced you it was a good idea. So in what galaxy was it your fault?” 

“I shouldn’t have put you in that position to begin with. I should’ve protected you. You and the kid.” He spoke as if the words had a physical weight to them.

“You do protect the kid. And it’s not your job to protect me.” He started to shake his head but she plowed on before he could say anything. “Din, I’m capable of looking after myself and of dealing with the outcome of my decisions. No one else can decide things for me, including you.” 

Din said nothing, but his thumb slid slowly over her waist. The touch was grounding. 

“Now, as far as you not being in a position to be with me. Did it ever occur to you that I’m not ready to be in a position like that either?” 

“Not--but you’re always--” he paused as if he was fighting each word, “you’re always so open. And--close.”

“I’m open with you because I trust you.” She tapped a finger against the cool surface of his pauldron. “When I spoke with your _alor_ , she asked me what I wanted. I told her I wanted to help instead of hide. I came with you because I wanted to help you and Kou, and that’s still the case. Everything else is secondary to me right now, okay?” 

He was silent for a long moment. “I understand.” 

“So you don’t have to go around making these supposedly noble decisions about my well-being like a--what was it?” Tali looked away, trying to remember. “A _dekat_?” She glanced back at him. “Is that right?”

Din tilted his head. 

“A _di’kut_? Who taught you that?” As she opened his mouth, he was already nodding to himself. “Paz. Of course he did.” 

“Now, I do think we work well together,” she moved closer to him, “and I like being with you too, probably more than I should. But I’m not ready to jump into anything. If it never goes past this, then I’ll still be lucky to have met you and Kou. So let’s just take it one step at a time, okay?”

“Yes. Okay.” He sounded more sure of himself this time, the tension melting out of his shoulders. His hands circled to her lower back, broad palms warm through her shirt, and Tali shifted her weight onto one hip, leaning against the inside of his thigh. 

“Though, I am still open to the idea of a repeat of the other night. Unless you’re regretting that…” 

His hands flexed on her back. “That’s not the word I’d use.” 

“Good. Let’s start there then.” 

He urged her gently closer to him, and she took the hint, sliding into his lap. Tali slipped her other arm around his back, laying one cheek against the soft fabric of his cloak between his neck and shoulder. She felt more than heard the sigh from him as his arms came around her, and the knots in her chest finally started to loosen. 

“We’ll figure this out.” She whispered, and felt his arms tighten around her before he brought one hand up to the band holding her hair back. 

“Alright if I--?” He asked quietly. 

“Please.” Tali replied, and Din carefully pulled the band out. He started to run his gloved hand through her hair before pulling it away. She felt him fiddling with something before both his gloves landed on the bed next to him and then his bare hands were carding through her hair. Tali sighed at the touch and pressed her face into the fabric at his neck. She felt him shift under her and heard his breath stutter through the modulator. 

Tali sat up, and ran a finger over one pauldron. “How do you take these off?” 

Din reached between them to his shoulder and started to work at a strap under the piece of armor before Tali stilled his hand with her own. 

“Would you show me how to do it?” 

He paused, bringing his head up to meet her eyes before his helmet dropped in a barely visible affirmative. “There’s a buckle under the pauldron, if you feel here.” 

Strong fingers guided hers underneath the smooth metal piece before moving back to trail over the skin at her wrist. Her fingers found the buckle and slipped the leather strap out of it so the pauldron came off in her hands. She carefully twisted to place it on the small table next to the bed and returned to remove his other pauldron. 

As Din talked her through how to unclasp his cloak and remove his vambraces, and chest and back plates, it somehow felt more intimate than if she'd been removing her own clothing. The pieces were lighter than she would’ve thought as she gently placed each one on the table, a light metallic ringing as they touched. Din was remarkably quiet as she worked but each time he spoke his voice was a little huskier and his fingers trailed lightly along her bare thighs. By the time she had removed all his armor to the waist, minus his helmet, her hands were trembling.

“You’ll need to move to get to the cuisses and greaves,” Din said. She startled as he lifted her off his lap and set her down on the bed next to him. He hesitated, leaning over her with one large hand resting over her sternum.

“Can you close your eyes? Just for a minute.” Tali nodded and laid her forearm over her eyes for good measure. There was a click and a hiss and then his voice was clearer, warmer. “Keep them closed.” 

“They’re closed,” Tali assured him. She could hear fabric rasping and two dull metallic sounds before another click, and when he spoke again it was with the familiar modulation over his rich baritone. 

“You can open them now.” 

She moved her arm to her forehead and cracked one eyelid. He’d stripped down to just his base layer after removing the last of his armor. Tali propped herself up on her elbows, eyes locked on the exposed skin of his neck. 

“Come here.” She said, lifting her chin with a reckless smile. There was an eagerness in the way he climbed over her that made her laugh, further easing the tension in her chest. He settled his hips snugly between her thighs, one forearm braced by her head to keep his weight off her, and the fingers of his other hand ghosting over her lips. She ran both hands up his back, pressing her fingertips into the tight muscles and making a mental note to convince him to let her work on his back sometime soon. Din threaded his fingers through her hair, separating the tangled strands gently as he combed through it. 

“Missed touching you the last few days.” He said, his voice rough. 

“Is that your fault or mine?” Tali asked, suddenly a little breathless. The warm weight of him against her made her heart pound. 

“I blame you,” Din said, “got me used to it.”

“Am I making you soft, Mandalorian?” She teased gently, wrapping one leg loosely around his hips. 

“Not exactly.” He replied, the promise in his voice backed up by a very intentional shift against her. 

She felt the hard length of him against her thigh and slipped her arms up around the back of his neck, leaning her head forward until her mouth was next to the sensor at his ear. 

“How about you show me, then?” She whispered. 

Din groaned softly and turned the face of his helmet into her neck, as if he could put his mouth on her. She turned her head to expose more of her throat, remembering his lips and teeth on her skin a few days before. But feeling him slip a hand under her waist to pull her up against him, feeling the press of cool metal into her neck and shoulder, this was good too. 

She took advantage of the exposed skin of his neck to kiss and nip her way from just under his ear down to the slope of his shoulder, pulling the collar of his shirt aside to reach more. His hips rolled unconsciously against her and his free hand flexed against her side.

Pressing his helmet tighter into her neck, he spoke, his voice ragged. 

“ _Ni ceta_ , _mar’eyce,_ I’m sorry. I should’ve asked you first. Shouldn’t have assumed what you’d want or need.” 

_And there it is_. Tali wrapped her arms around his shoulders to pull him down to her, and allowed herself a brief smile as the last knots in her chest finally released. “I forgive you.” 

  
  


* * * * * * *

Hearing those words, parts of him that Din hadn’t realized were out of alignment shifted back into place. 

Tali pushed at his shoulders and he sat back on his knees, captivated by the easy smile in her eyes. She crossed her arms and pulled her shift off over her head, leaving her nearly bare to him. Laying back, she took one of his hands in her small ones and pulled it to her breast. He moved with her, covering the soft curve and molding it under his palm as she let her hands drop to rest at either side of her head. 

Din leaned forward over her, bracing himself on one hand and smoothing the thumb of his other hand over her nipple. Her eyes closed and she inhaled sharply as he rolled it carefully between his fingertips. He kept his gaze on her face, taking in the way her eyelashes tightened against her cheeks and how she turned her head, exposing the pulse in her neck. 

He worked his way down her body, stroking little circles and patterns across her skin, still watching her face. Her lips parted when his fingers ran across a particularly sensitive area and he inhaled sharply in response. 

When he reached her hips, his thumbs dipped below the band of her underwear and slowly dragged them down, trusting she would stop him if she didn’t want it. Instead, she lifted her hips and drew her knees up as he eased them down. Tali started to close her legs, tinges of pink in her cheeks as she threw one arm back over her eyes but Din put a hand on the inside of her thigh, stopping her. 

“I didn’t get to see your eyes when I touched you before.” 

The corner of her mouth quirked, but she didn’t move her arm. “Thought I was the only blind one that night.” 

He smoothed both hands up her thighs and felt muscles twitch under his palms. 

“I was a little distracted at that point.” She hummed in acknowledgement, a knowing smile on her lips. Din reached up and gently pulled her arm away from her face. 

_“Ne haaranovor_ , _mar’yece_. Don’t hide your eyes. I want to see them.” 

She relaxed back with a sigh, legs falling open to allow him to trace his fingers down to her warmth. As he touched her, he watched the way she bit her lip to hold in little sounds of need, and how she furrowed her brow the same way she did when she was concentrating hard. He wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to watch her focus on mastering a move in their defense lessons the same way again, seeing how the same line appeared between her eyebrows. 

Din could tell she was getting close when her entire body seemed to tense up, and her lips shaped into a graceful ‘o’. He quickened the pace of his fingers in the same motions and her back arched, head thrown back against the pillow and small urgent moans spilling from her. She sucked in a breath and turned her head sharply to the side as her back arched and he felt her thighs clench around him. 

Pink spilled across her cheeks and down her throat and he couldn’t resist reaching up to stroke his thumb over the softness of her blushed cheek as her chest heaved. She pulled him back up over her, and something sharp twisted inside him when she pressed her forehead against his helmet. 

“I’m starting to feel underdressed, Mandalorian.” The teasing note was back in her voice and Din grinned, feeling her smooth fingers slip up his sides under his shirt. 

“I think I can do something about that.” He pulled back to tug his shirt off over his helmet and Tali leaned up to kiss the exposed underside of his jaw. His breath hitched at the sharp prick of her nails in his sides and he couldn’t hold back a groan at the dull scrape of teeth over his throat. His head spun a little under the sensation of her mouth and hands moving over him, so much touch against his bare skin at once.

“I don’t understand how you can taste so good when you’re in that damn armor all day long,” Tali said hungrily, speaking in between kisses.

If he couldn’t have his mouth on her, he at least wanted both hands on her. He shifted to one side and pulled her up over him so she straddled his waist, her eyes widening in surprise at the move. Tali’s hands settled naturally on his chest and her knees pressed tight to the outsides of his thighs. He could feel the heat of her against him as he dragged her hips back over him, and her back arched. 

“It’s not--” she gasped, “not nice to tease, Din.” 

Grinning under the helmet, Din sat up and brought one hand up to the back of her neck, lifting his hips to grind her down against him again. “Just figured I’d give you some of your own medicine, _mar’eyce_.” 

Tali set her nails into his shoulders and when she looked back down at him her eyes were blazing. “ _Rude_ ,” she panted, “I thought this was you saying you’re sorry.” 

“True.” Din conceded, still rolling his hips up against her and drinking in the way her lips parted as she moaned. "Let me get back to that." He reached behind her to shove his trousers down his legs. Tali reached back to help once she realized what he was doing and they both groaned as her wet heat slid over him. 

“Need--we need to be quiet. The rest of the Covert--” He rasped, and Tali nodded quickly. 

She braced her hands against his chest and lifted off him enough to slip his cock inside her. Din pressed his head back into the pillow, gritting his teeth. His hands were locked on her hips and he knew he would leave bruises but his full concentration was on not just surging up into her. 

Opening his eyes, Din saw Tali biting her lip, that line back between her eyebrows as she slowly sank down on him. Reaching up, he pushed her hair back over her shoulder, the strands silky against his fingers. She let out a breath as she seated herself more firmly and stroked her hands down his torso. 

Din pulled her down against his chest, the weight of her grounding and dizzying in the same moment. Her fingers trailed across his shoulders, head tucked under his chin, and he could feel her warm breath against his neck. 

She flicked her tongue across the hollow at the base of his throat and he groaned low, hearing a choked sound from her when his hips ground up into hers in response. Din wrapped one arm across her back as he started an easy rhythm between them, every line of her pressed against him. She muffled a moan at a particularly deep thrust and her arms tightened around his shoulders.

Bringing his hand up, Din pressed her face into his neck and felt her shudder as he sped up the smooth roll of his hips. It felt right to have her against him again. Tali pushed back on him to get a slightly different angle, and soon her breath hitched sharply.

“Din,” she panted against his pulse point, “Din, I‘m getting close.” 

“Go ahead, _mesh’la_ , let go.” He let her control the pace, struggling to focus with the tight heat encasing him. She came around him with a muted cry, shaking. He tightened his arm across her back as he thrust once, twice more into her before he came, time slowing as he panted. 

A pleasant warmth and tiredness flowed through him as he felt Tali pressing light kisses down the column of his throat and to the hollow of his collarbones. He closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the comforting contact. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d become accustomed to how easily Tali touched him until he had gone without the past few days. It was still new enough to surprise him, and impactful enough to worry him. But as he held her, Din told himself he’d worry about it tomorrow. As she’d said, they’d figure it out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a:  
>  _di'kut_ \- idiot  
>  _ni ceta_ \- I'm sorry, lit. 'I kneel'; this apology is rare and reserved for serious fuck ups  
>  _ne haraanovor_ \- don't hide  
>  _mar'eyce_ \- something precious, something found at last  
>  _mesh'la_ \- beautiful


	16. "Could you show me?" Art!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amazing art by the talented SRed of the scene in Chapter 15 where Din talks Tali through how to take his armor off. xoxoxo. The last chapter is coming soon, I promise!


	17. Gai bal manda - name and soul

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tali makes some observations about Mandalorians, Din takes an important step, and there is one last secret to be told. It’s the end of one adventure and the beginning of another.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mando'a:  
>  _Buir_ \- parent  
>  _Ad’ika_ \- child  
>  _Ad’e_ \- children (pl)  
>  _Yaimpar sha can’ara ad’eta_ \- Return in 20 minutes  
>  _Ikaad_ \- baby/very small child  
>  _Jate_ \- good  
>  _Gar burc’ya_ \- your friend  
>  _Lek_ \- yes/yeah (slang)  
>  _Yaim’ol_ \- welcome back/home  
>  _Dral haaise_ \- bright eyes  
>  _Vod_ \- brother/sister  
>  _Ni kar’tayli gai sa’ad_ \- “I know your name as my child”; the words of the gai bal manda (‘name and soul’), the formal Mandalorian adoption oath.  
>  _Kar’ta beskar_ \- Iron heart, the diamond shaped inlay on Mandalorian chest armor, a very traditional symbol in Mando culture  
>  _Shabuir_ \- jerk, but much stronger

Tali’s breathing had evened out slowly, her hands loosening on Din’s shoulders as her body relaxed against his. Given the effort she’d expended healing Mayta late the previous evening, coupled with the stress of the morning, it wasn’t surprising that her body had dragged her into sleep so quickly. 

Moving slowly, Din sat up with her still against him. He wrapped one arm under her hips and the other across her shoulders, tucking her head into his shoulder as he stood. He listened for a moment but her breathing stayed slow and deep. He carried her to her bed and tucked her under the blankets, relieved that she seemed exhausted enough to sleep through the move. 

He dressed quickly, fingers moving across the clasps of his armor in well-practiced silence. It was early afternoon, and the kid would still be in the Foundling rooms. Remembering the worried expression on the _ad’ika_ ’s face as he’d looked from Din to Tali during their argument and the way he had looked at him after she’d left, Din knew he still owed one more apology. 

Din left their quarters, his feet leading him back to the Foundling rooms. It was strange how they always seemed to learn the passages of the newest Covert more quickly than his mind did. He rounded another corner and stopped outside a nondescript door. Opening it slowly, he heard Vir’s lilting accent, explaining a maintenance schematic on a datapad. 

The older Mandalorian glanced up as Din entered and nodded to him before looking back to the two youths sitting across from him. Dirk Vizla and Soona Lytak, the Covert’s two oldest Foundlings, were nearing the same age Din had been when he’d sworn the Creed. Dirk, at twelve, had the same proud bearing as his _buir_ , Paz. Soona’s _buir_ , Teko, had been killed on Nevarro, and he’d been told the young woman had barely spoken since the evacuation. At thirteen, Soona would have sworn the Creed in the next six months. Now, with the Tribe decimated and her _buir_ in the Manda, it was hard to say. 

“Take a break, _ad’e_.” Vir said, putting down the datapad. He raised his voice slightly to get the attention of the two younger children who worked together on a datapad in the corner. “ _Yaimpar sha can’ara ad’eta._ ”

The two younger children dropped the datapad and scrambled to their feet to race for the door, the two older following with somewhat more dignity. As Vir stood, Din finally saw the tiny bundle with large green ears tucked into his arm. 

“Your _ikaad_ was restless this morning,” the older Mandalorian said as he gently shifted the kid to Din’s outstretched arms.

“Thank you for watching him.” Din said, settling the sleepy child against his chest. Vir hummed in acknowledgement. 

“Does he have a name?” 

Din shifted. “Not yet.” 

Vir tilted his head. “But soon, I think.” 

Din looked down to the tiny form relaxed in sleep against his armor. “I think so, yes.” 

The older Mandalorian nodded in a satisfied way. “ _Jate_. And _gar_ _burc’ya_? She’s recovering well?” 

Din glanced up quickly at that, feeling a flush trail up his neck under his cowl. He had a feeling Vir was asking about more than Tali’s exhaustion at healing Mayta. “She’s resting now.” 

“She seems very kind.” Vir said, stooping to swipe the datapad off the floor and place it on the nearby table. 

“She is. Sometimes to her detriment.” Din sighed, running a light hand over the kid’s back. 

“People like that are a commodity in the galaxy, I’m afraid.” Vir walked over to pick up the other abandoned datapad. “It’s good that two of them are able to keep an eye on each other though, _lek_?” 

Din was saved from having to formulate an answer by his _ad’ika_ , who chose that moment to awaken. Pushing himself up off Din’s chest, he rubbed a fist against his eye and yawned hugely, exposing a mouth of tiny sharp teeth. 

“ _Yaim’ol_ , _dral haaise_.” Din said gently, smiling as the kid blinked sleepily up at him. 

“I’ll leave you to it, _vod_. Think I’ll take advantage of the moment to grab something to eat.” Vir patted his shoulder as he passed, leaving Din and his _ad’ika_ alone in the training room. 

Din thought back over the conversation as he returned to their quarters. The idea of naming his _ad’ika_ had been pushed aside in the panic of the last week, but Vir’s words brought it back to the forefront of his mind. Back in his room, Din sat on the bed and crossed his legs, settling his _ad’ika_ on his lap. The kid, recovering rapidly from his nap, balanced himself to stand unsteadily on one of Din’s cuisses. 

Din wasn’t sure what he’d been waiting for. Perhaps for some sign that he had earned a right to lay any claim of responsibility to the kid after what he had done. Some sign from the others, not just the Armorer, that everything he had done since Arvala-9 had not just been one endless mistake. Seeing how the Tribe had accepted his Foundling as one of them in the past few days though, he supposed he should’ve known better than to think he was on his own in this. Child-rearing in Mandalorian culture was a group effort, and that didn’t change, even when a Tribe had precious few members left. 

As for a name, Din had known what the child’s name would be for months. There was only one real possibility, when it came down to it. “I think it’s time, _ad’ika_.” He said, the words rasping in his throat. 

Listening carefully, he heard no sounds from Tali’s room. Din removed his gloves and then slipped his helmet off, setting it on the bed next to him. The kid smiled delightedly up at him, and, on tiptoe, stretched both hands towards his face. Din obliged him, raising the child to look him in the eyes with no barrier in between warm brown and black. He brought his forehead to rest against the _ad’ika_ ’s warm, wrinkled brow and closed his eyes. 

“ _Ni kar’tayli gai sa’ad_ \- Ruhi.” Din took in a shaky breath. “I know I’ve said the first half to you before, I’m sorry it took me so long to find the right way to finish it.” 

He drew back to meet Ruhi’s eyes. His son looked up at him, dark eyes searching as if trying to memorize the face normally hidden beneath a black visor and mirrored metal, before raising one three-fingered hand to brush against the corner of Din’s mouth. Din smiled, his lips turning up under the soft touch. 

“It was my _buir_ ’s name. He was kind, and patient when I took longer than I should’ve to figure things out. Like you are with me.” 

Something in Ruhi’s eyes comforted him, made him think that the kid understood. From the first time Din had paused in that desperate firefight in the square in Nevarro, so close to escape and completely surrounded, and those black eyes had opened and looked into his soul, the kid had seemed to understand. When they had to leave Sorgan, and the peace Ruhi had so clearly come to love, the look in his eyes said he understood. Everytime Din had whispered that he was sorry he couldn’t give him more, sorry they had to keep moving, sorry he couldn’t find the right words, Ruhi’s eyes had reassured him quietly that he understood. 

“Ruhi Djarin.” Although Din whispered the same words whenever he spoke the name of his _buir_ in remembrance, they felt different here. They were lighter on his tongue, a beginning rather than an end. 

He rubbed the edge of one long green ear between his thumb and forefinger, and let himself lean back against the wall, eyes closed. His son was a warm weight on his chest. 

They sat like that for several long minutes, a deep peace suffusing the silence. Finally, Din heard Tali stirring on the other side of the wall and he pulled Ruhi away from himself, setting him back in his lap. The child’s ears drooped when Din reached for his helmet, and he felt a pang in his chest. 

“Sorry, _ad’ika_. I’ll explain someday, but this is the Way.” 

For the first time in a very long time, the helmet felt heavy as it slipped over his face. Din wondered if his _buir_ had felt the same way when he put his helmet on each time they left their shared quarters when Din was young. Had he seen the Foundling before him, still unsure and craving the comfort of a familiar face, and wondered whether there was another way?

They both looked over when there was a gentle knock on the door separating the two rooms. 

“Come in.” Din called, running a hand over the kid’s head. 

A smile broke over Tali’s face when she saw them. The shadows under her eyes were still present, but they were at least lighter than they had been that morning.

Ruhi’s ears perked up when he saw the woman and he scrambled over Din’s leg, reaching out for her. Tali picked the tiny child up and hugged him to her with an ease that made something loosen in Din’s chest. Regardless of what had come between them the past few days, Tali’s love for Ruhi had clearly never wavered. 

Stroking slow circles on the kid’s back, she sat down next to Din and angled herself to face him. 

“Anything new while I was out?” 

“It’s been quiet.” Din said, running his thumb lightly over her knee. “Mayta’s doing much better, _baar’ur_ said she might be up and around again by tomorrow.” 

“Good. That’s really good to hear.” She said, still half-focused on the child in her lap. Din suspected Ruhi was projecting to her, but found he didn’t mind missing out on half the conversation. Tali’s face was animated enough for him to get the gist of the sentiments being exchanged, and watching the two of them settled him after the events of the last few days. 

A low rumble sounded from her stomach and Tali folded her arm over it, her expression sheepish. Din grinned. “Hungry?” 

“I would _love_ something to eat. He might too.” She let him curl two claws around her fingers. “Hungry, _kou-nyee_?” 

Din hesitated for a moment before speaking. “Ruhi.” Tali looked up quickly, her eyes wide, before he continued. “His name is Ruhi.” The child looked up at him, ears lifted gently. The lines at the corners of Tali’s eyes deepened as she smiled. 

“Ruhi?” She asked. 

“It was my _buir_ ’s name.” Din explained. “The Mandalorian who adopted me after the droids--he raised me, taught me. He’s the reason I swore the Creed.” 

“Ruhi.” Tali tilted her head in thought. “It’s a good name. Suits him.” 

“It does.” Din agreed. Tali reached out to wipe a smudge of dust off his cuirass, and let her fingers trail lightly down over the _kar’ta beskar_ , the iron heart of his armor. He met her eyes through his visor when she looked up at him, and leaned forward to rest his head against hers, laying his other hand on Ruhi’s back. 

Sitting there, just the three of them, Din couldn't say that it felt like family. To be honest, he couldn't say exactly _what_ it felt like. There wasn't a specific term or a neat little compartment to label what it was he felt, or what it could potentially become. All he knew was that this wasn't close to what he would’ve imagined, walking up the steps to the castle on Takodana only a few months ago.

* * * * * * *

Walking through the corridors with Din at her side and Ruhi perched happily on his shoulder, Tali finally had the opportunity to look around her. 

“What is this place? Did your Tribe just find it like this, or did they make it?” 

“Found it on a scouting mission. We think it used to be a base for one of the rebellion groups. The place looked like it had been abandoned for a while when the scouts found it. It needs some work but it’s close enough to civilization for supplies, and out of the way enough to be safe.” 

“Convenient.” Tali replied, looking down one of the other corridors at a junction and hearing the sound of metal echoing. Something struck her and she glanced over at Din. “Is...is it alright for me to be out? Is that allowed?” 

Din tipped his head in the way she’d come to learn meant confusion. “Yes...why wouldn’t it be?” 

Tali shrugged. “Well, yesterday the big blue guy told me not to leave my room.” 

“The ‘big blue guy’ is a _shabuir_ \--an asshole.” Din grumbled. “You saved one of our Foundlings, and the _alor_ said you’d proven yourself an ally to the Tribe. On top of that, you’re with me.” 

She lifted an eyebrow. “And that means...?”

He glanced down at her. “It means you’re under my protection. You’re allowed to be here. And as far as being allowed to leave your room--you’re not a prisoner.” 

Thinking back to the _al’verde_ ’s instructions when he had taken her back to her room the previous day, Tali thought this point was likely debatable but decided not to push it further. This was Din’s territory; if he said she was fine, she would just have to trust him on it. 

He led her through several more turns before they came to the large open area they’d passed the night they’d arrived at the Covert. Some part of Tali marveled that it had only been a few short days since they’d arrived. Without daylight, time seemed to blur between sleeping and waking, the same way it did in hyperspace.

Two of the Mandalorians Tali had seen the first night were sitting at a table talking, and both looked up when the trio entered. Their body language seemed more relaxed than it had the first evening though, and one even waved to them. 

“Sit, I’ll grab something for you and the kid.” Din said, easing Ruhi off his shoulder and depositing him into Tali’s arms before heading off to the side of the room. Tali approached the table where the two Mandalorians sat. 

“May we join you?” She asked, settling Ruhi more firmly on her hip. 

“Go ahead.” The Mandalorian on the right, wearing faded red armor, gestured for them to sit. He, from the sound of his voice, leaned back with one arm resting on the table, and Tali vaguely wondered whether mastering the casual lean was part of Mandalorian training. 

Din slid onto the bench next to her a moment later, putting down a plate with a mix of bread, fruit of some kind, and a few strips of dried bantha meat in front of her. Ruhi reached out for a piece of the dried bantha, his ears and eyes just barely higher than the level of the table even as Tali felt him stretch up onto his toes. Grinning, she broke off a piece and handed it to him, and the child watched the two across from him with bright, interested eyes as he chewed. 

The other Mandalorian, whose grey armor looked less worn than the one in red, crossed their arms on the table and leaned forward. Although the grey armor gave no overt indication of gender, the voice sounded female.

“Are you recovered from last night? Our _baar’ur_ said you’d passed out after you--did the--.” She gestured vaguely, trying to convey something she clearly had no words for. 

Tali nodded, swallowing a piece of fruit. “Pretty much back to normal, thanks.” 

“How did you do that? Last night?” The grey-armored Mandalorian asked, her tone intensely curious. Seeing Ruhi’s hand stretching out again towards the plate, Tali handed him another piece of bantha meat before he lost his balance on her lap. 

“Well, it’s--it’s complicated.” She explained. “But the basic idea, I suppose, is that the Force runs through everything, and everyone. So you can kind of follow it through someone, and feel where there’s something not right, and fix that. Or, usually it fixes it. Sometimes it doesn’t fix it fully. But the Force is what does the actual work, I’m just a conduit for it, in a way. If that makes sense...” 

She trailed off, not needing to see under their helmets to imagine the identical expressions of confusion. Bluntly, Tali couldn’t say she really understood how it worked, and hadn’t met anyone else who did. It just…did, like bacta, Tali assumed.

“Huh.” The red-armored Mandalorian’s voice was politely baffled. 

Tali was saved by the grey-armored Mandalorian. “Does it always take so much out of you?” she asked, tilting her head. The movement was almost identical to the one she would recognize from Din as curiosity, but there was something slightly different about the angle of her helmet. Tali filed away the idea of Mandalorian body-language dialects for later thought.

She sat back, one hand absentmindedly stroking one of Ruhi’s ears. “It depends. The more damage there is, the more energy it takes. I’m sure there are stronger Force users who wouldn’t be tired from it, but I’m not in that category.” 

“You were strong enough to heal her.” Din said quietly from beside her, bracing a forearm on the table. 

Tali exhaled a laugh and gave him an affectionate side-eye, bumping him with her elbow. “Yes, but--well. I’m glad she’s doing better now.” 

The grey and red-armored Mandalorians exchanged a look and Tali wondered whether she’d made a mistake in touching Din so casually. She made a note to ask him about it at some point. She had been so preoccupied the past two days that she’d had no opportunity to speak with him about his Tribe. On top of that, none of the Mandalorians, including the Pantoran she’d spoken with before, had introduced themselves. She didn’t even know how many people were even in the Covert. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by running footsteps and a child’s excited shriek in the distance. Ruhi twisted interestedly to look past her towards the sounds but they grew fainter. Reminded of what the Pantoran Mandalorian had said earlier, Tali looked interestedly at Din. “How many other kids are there here?” 

Din looked over at the other two Mandalorians and Tali got the impression there was some kind of exchange going on before the grey-armored Mandalorian replied. 

“Five including the Foundling you healed last night. Six in total with the new Foundling,” she nodded to Ruhi. 

“One of the other Mandalorians told me…” Tali hesitated, “he told me that two of them recently lost their parents. I’m so sorry.” 

The grey-armored Mandalorian inclined her head. “It’s a difficult thing. But they will be adopted by others in the Tribe. This is the Way.” 

Tali started as Din and the red-armored Mandalorian repeated the phrase, Din’s voice firm next to her. 

“It’s good that she’ll recover quickly, though,” the red-armored Mandalorian said. “ The others wouldn’t focus on their lessons while she was so sick.” 

Tali leaned forward. “Lessons? Are they in school?” 

“In a sense,” the grey-armored Mandalorian replied. “They complete lessons each week, in addition to training.” 

“What kind of lessons?” Now that she had some indication that she wasn’t overstepping some societal line by asking questions, Tali didn't restrain her curiosity. 

The grey-armored Mandalorian shrugged. “Lessons in the Creed, our history, tactics, general reading and writing for the younger ones. And one of the Foundlings is apprenticed to our medic.” 

With Din’s clear trust of Tali, the grey-armored Mandalorian seemed happy to discuss the day to day challenges of raising the Foundlings, and the red-armored Mandalorian piped in every now and then with a comment. Tali was slightly concerned to hear the Mandalorians talk about training the Foundlings to fight so young, but the red-armored Mandalorian assured her that they weren’t given live-fire weapons under the age of ten. She managed to keep the surprise off her face, barely, and put that on the growing list of things to ask Din about later. Appetite temporarily sated, Ruhi had cuddled into her arms and now listened quietly, large dark eyes half-closed. 

The Mandalorians looked over her head and Tali turned to find the _alor_ standing several paces behind them. A pair of rough leather arm-guards were tucked into the belt at her side, and the light from the room’s electrolights danced off the brass of her helmet. 

“I wish to speak with you, if you are recovered.” Her voice was the same measured tone as it had been the previous day. 

Tali felt Ruhi sit up in her lap at the interruption, looking at the woman behind them. She glanced over at Din, but he seemed to be waiting for her to reply. “Uh, sure.” 

The _alor_ nodded before she turned to walk away, Din standing immediately to follow.

Gathering Ruhi, Tali stood and turned back to the two at the table. “It was really nice to meet you.” Two helmets nodded and she smiled before hurrying to catch up with Din and the _alor_. 

They followed the matriarch down the halls to the same room she’d spoken to Tali in before. It was more organized than it had been the previous day. Now that she was less focused on not getting shot, Tali could see the beginnings of how it might look when completed. It felt like more than a workshop, as if she was entering a shrine, and Din’s move to kneel felt appropriate. 

Tali was more comfortable this time around, but reasoned it might be the presence of Din at her side. When the _alor_ settled herself on her knees across from them it felt more like a conversation than an interrogation. 

“The Tribe owes you a debt for your care of our Foundling.” The _alor_ began, and Tali thought she detected the slightest hint of warmth in her voice. 

“It was the least I could do.” Tali replied, Ruhi settling quiet in her arms. 

“No. It was far more than the least you could do.” The _alor_ turned her head to look at Din. “Were you able to find any information of use at the temple on Coruscant?”

Din remembered the tense conversation he’d had with Cara in the cockpit of the _Crest_ after they’d left Coruscant. He told the Armorer what they’d found, that the child was of the same species as the previous leader of the Jedi Council, and in all likelihood would live for centuries after Din’s soul had gone to the Manda. A knot tightened in his stomach, knowing his child would be barely a tenth into his lifespan by the time he was old and grey. It was another fact altogether that Mandalorians did not typically live to be old and grey. 

The Armorer was silent as he spoke and remained quiet after he finished, thinking. When she spoke at last, she directed her question to Tali. 

“This power, the child’s ability to manipulate the Force. Do you believe it is what drew the two attacks you spoke to me of before?” 

“Yes.” Tali replied. “I’m sure whoever is on the other end of them is searching for him, attempting to reach out directly to his mind.”

* * * * * * *

“On the other end? What attacks?” Din asked. Tali looked over at him, an apology clear in her eyes, and his mouth went dry. 

“I’ve been shielding you and K--Ruhi since we left Takodana, while you were learning to shield yourselves. Over the past few months, someone--” she faltered, “someone tried to reach out to Ruhi. Twice.” Din felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and Tali rushed on. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before, I didn’t want to worry you when there wasn’t anything either of us could do about it.” 

“Do you know who it was?” He asked, anger competing with shock. Even unable to do anything about it, she should’ve told him. Din pushed it away. _Just focus on the facts, deal with the rest later_. 

Tali shook her head. “No. It wasn’t--,” she paused to think, “It wasn’t so much an attack as someone reaching out, trying to speak to him. But it didn’t quite feel right, so I masked his signature.”

“Will their shields alone protect them now?” The Armorer asked. 

Tali seemed to choose her words carefully. “They’ve both worked hard, and their shields are strong but...given the strength of the individual reaching out, I’d prefer to keep shielding them for the time being.” 

“You can continue to do so?” 

“For now, yes.” Tali looked down at the little Foundling, who stared back with dark worried eyes. “But if the individual behind it decides to push harder or more often, I don’t know that I could hold them back indefinitely.”

The _alor_ tapped one finger against her leg, an rare sign of agitation. “Is there another way to shield the Foundling?” 

Tali chewed her lip and took in a breath before letting it out. Her voice was hesitant when she finally looked back up at the Armorer. “I think maybe it’s time to go talk to the Jedi, Luke Skywalker. If there’s someone out there looking for Ruhi, the new Jedi order might be the only other people who could help. We don’t have a lot of other options.” 

The Armorer looked to Din. “I will leave that choice to the leader of Clan Djarin.” 

Recognizing the dismissal, Din stood with the Armorer. The child in her arms, Tali trailed quietly after him out of the Forge and down the corridor. The anger he’d shoved down was burning now, but he waited until they reached a more isolated part of the Covert before he rounded on her. 

“Why didn’t you tell me about the attacks?” 

She moved back from him and for the first time in a while Din saw a trace of fear in her eyes. “I promise, I wasn’t trying to hide it from you. I just didn’t want to worry you.” 

“That wasn’t your decision to make.” Din snapped. “I’m responsible for his safety. You should’ve told me.” _Focus on the facts_. “What happened? Tell me. Exactly.” He could hear the growl in his voice. 

Tali’s shoulders hunched. “The first time was just after that first shielding lesson when I--when I saw your family. You were so angry with me already, and I didn’t want to tell you that I had a shield over you and Ruhi in case you thought I was using it to--to get into your minds. It was like someone was just pushing lightly. Trying to see if they could get in. It wasn’t malicious. It just didn’t feel right.” She shook her head. “The second time it happened, there was more force behind it but still, nothing malicious. More curious, almost...enticing? Like they were trying to--coax him into reaching back to them.” 

She looked back up at him. “I don’t know who it is, or what they want with Ruhi. I just wanted to protect you both. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, I just didn’t want to add more to your plate. Especially when you couldn’t do anything about it.” 

Din forced himself to take several breaths. His anger at Tali paled in comparison to the idea that someone, anyone, was trying to lure his child into danger. The discovery that she had been protecting them from the beginning wasn’t much of a surprise when he looked at her behavior towards Ruhi, and even himself. Tali had done precisely what he would have expected her to do, had he known her heart the way he did now. 

He had no concern that she had kept the information from him out of fear or any ill intent. Frankly speaking, that wasn’t how Tali operated. She had simply chosen to put the responsibility of their protection on her own shoulders, rather than give him yet another problem he couldn’t solve. As angry as he had been on first hearing it, he knew she held the same self-reliance and at times destructive sense of responsibility that he held for himself. Could he really hold it against her, when she had acted out of the same sense of personal responsibility that he had when he had betrayed her trust? In the end, his disclosure to the Armorer about Black Sun had come out of a desire to protect her, and the Tribe. They both could’ve gone about it a better way, but in the end it wasn’t that different. 

Din remembered the way she had swept Ruhi up this afternoon, the expression of fierce affection that had come over her face as she held him close. There was no doubt in his mind that she loved his _ad’ika_ , and would protect him with her life. Whoever the threat was to them here, it wasn’t Tali. Letting out a loud exhale that crackled through his modulator, he let his anger bleed away. 

“I understand. But--don’t do that. You don’t need to worry about putting the burden on me. I’m his _buir_ , his safety is my responsibility. If there’re any more attacks, you tell me. Right away.” 

Din started to reach for her and stopped, uncertain. Tali caught his hand and brought it the rest of the way to her cheek, pressing a soft kiss to the worn leather on his palm. 

“No more secrets, for either of us. Alright?” She said and a broad smile broke over her face when Ruhi reached out for her. She leaned in close to let him rest his small hand against her other cheek. 

* * * * * * *

“Clan Djarin?” Tali asked. 

Looking up, Din watched her dig through her bag across the room. She pulled out the kid’s worn krill toy and returned to sit next to them on his bed. The kid’s eyes tracked the toy with laser focus as she levitated it a few inches above her hand. Ears raised like radar sensors, Ruhi reached both hands out towards it, and the blue fish shot to them as soon as Tali released it. 

“What about Clan Djarin?” Din asked, grinning. 

“You _alor_ said she would leave the choice of what to do up to the leader of Clan Djarin.” Tali leaned forward and tapped the mudhorn skull on his pauldron. “Does that have anything to do with this?” 

Din twisted his shoulder to see the beskar outline. “Yes. It’s the symbol of my clan.” 

She settled back against the wall, pulling her hair over her shoulder to braid it absently. “What does it mean?” 

“Signets mark an achievement in Mandalorian culture. They’re traditionally used to denote clan status.”

“So what does the mudhorn mean?” 

“When I first went to find the kid, back when he was a bounty, my ship got picked over by Jawas. I traded them a mudhorn egg to get the parts back. Mudhorn wasn’t particularly interested in letting me take her egg.” 

Tali looked blankly at him. “You’re joking. You fought an adult mudhorn. And lived.” 

“Barely. That was the first time I saw him use the Force. He stopped the mudhorn from charging me. Held it in mid-air.” 

“He stopped a charging mudhorn cold?” She’d stopped braiding, the separated lengths of hair still caught up in her fingers as she stared at Ruhi. 

Din nodded. “I wouldn’t have survived that fight without him. The _alor_ granted me the mudhorn signet as the symbol of my clan. A clan of two.” He looked down at the kid between them and was met with a calm dark gaze. “When she first offered it, I told her I couldn’t accept. It hadn’t been an honorable kill.”

Tali frowned. “What about it wasn’t honorable?” 

Din remembered that moment on the _Crest_ when his conscience had finally caught up with him. “Because he saved my life, and I delivered him to the enemy. On top of owing him that debt, Mandalorians have a responsibility to protect innocents. And instead of protecting him, I handed him over to the people who killed my family, and possibly his. I let the job become more important than the Creed. ” 

“But you went back for him.” She said reassuringly. 

Smiling crookedly under his helmet, Din wound a lock of her hair around two fingers and tugged lightly. “I seem to recall saying something similar to you the day we met.” Tali had the dignity to flush slightly, no doubt remembering her harsh words for him that day. 

“I didn’t know what kind of person you were then.” 

“You had no way of knowing.” He reasoned. “And you were right. I’ll live with the knowledge of what I did for the rest of my life.” 

Din rubbed the lock of hair between his fingers, noticing the way the light changed it from pale yellow to white as he did. Letting the strands slip from between his fingers, he sat back. “You really think we should go see Skywalker?” 

Tali nodded, resuming her braid. “I think that’s our best bet. He may be able to help us figure out who’s behind the attacks, and if his school is as well-protected as Maz says then we should be safe there for a while.” 

“You don’t think he’ll want to keep him there? Turn him into a Jedi?” Din asked.

“He may, but that’s not up to him. Ruhi is your son.” Tali reached out to stroke the kid’s head. “And if we need to have words with him about that, we will.” 

He grinned at the determined note in her voice. “Do we know where his school is?” 

“Maz does. We can get her on the holocom.”

Din studied Tali for a moment. “Or we could go see her.” 

She looked up at that, her face brightening. “That would--yes. I’d like that.” 

He looked down at Ruhi, who glanced between them both, ears perked up with excitement. 

“What do you think, _ad’ika_? Ready to go track down a Jedi?” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well folks, this is it for now. Thank you so much for being with me along the way of this story. This is the first non-technical piece I've written since about 7th grade English class, so there's that. I currently have plans for another fic with these three lovely characters (as well as many we've met along the way), as well as several one-shots. You are all fantastic individuals, and I wish you all the love and peace in the world in these crazy times.  
> xoxo - DF

**Author's Note:**

> Props to user @CoffeeQuill for the idea of Maz being able to help Din out with his Force-sensitive child issue.  
> The rule about only staying one night at Maz’s if you’ve got a bounty on you is canon.  
> I struggled with the idea that Din would trust Maz so quickly but y’all he has got to be so desperate to figure out how to help his tiny green gremlin and get some gotdamn sleep.
> 
> Spotify playlist: [Enjoy!](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2Rr6EtEAcKNs8hGVW7zrqZ?si=uFp-3cSMTSedRkHbgstiOA)


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